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NORTH PORT WILL BE BRAVESÂ NEW ORLANDO Â„ As the confetti Â”ies during a winning celebration at the end of some sports championships and even the American Idol Â“nal over the years, a star athlete or singer has been heard to declare, ÂIÂm going to Disney World.ÂŽ The Atlanta Braves are doing quite the opposite. TheyÂre leaving the Mickey Mouse Club for good after next year and moving their spring training setup to North Port. As the Braves hosted its Â“rst Grapefruit League game this week since the autumn announcement, some arriving fans are perplexed. Their team currently outdraws the clubs who play in the vicinity of where the new home is under construction, and part of their future woodsy path to the new stadium from I-75 is currently a dangerous, narrow two-lane potholed patchwork known as River Road. So why depart the bustling, entertainment mecca of Magic Kingdom, a metro that is closing in on the 20th most populated in the nation as the fastest growing among the largest regions, and an area with nearly a century of Major League Baseball history? The answer is easy, as far as the Braves are concerned: Location. Location. Location. After two decades at Disney, the Braves Disney glitter not enough for teamBy SOMMER BROKAWSUN CORRESPONDENT THE ROAD TO NORTH PORTThe Braves pursued a new springtraining home in Florida for almost three years, turning their attention solely to Sarasota County in 2017 after previous discussions with Pinellas County, Collier County and Palm Beach County. Major League Baseball nixed the Pinellas possibility by saying the area should focus instead on a new regularseason stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. Collier commissioners voted unanimously in 2016 to discontinue talks with the Braves, saying tax dollars should be used instead for beach restoration and roads. Palm Beach had no obvious funding source after building a stadium that opened last year for the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros.Source: ajc.com Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones with player Freddie Freeman at spring training in Orlando last week.AP PHOTOTEAM | 4 M agi c K ingdom ENGLEWOOD Â„ Beneath 21 feet of seawater and 350 yards off the beach of Manasota Key, state archaeologists are exploring a preserved burial site, bit by tiny bit. In what National Geographic Magazine is calling an ÂunprecedentedÂŽ Â“nd, scientists are working to coax clues out of the skeletal remains of at least six people who lived near here and were carefully buried in a shallow pond 7,200 years ago. TheyÂre combing through the ancient bog on the sea Â”oor, sometimes using chopsticks and pastry brushes to try to determine who these people were and how they lived their lives. The site is Âglobally signiÂ“cant,ÂŽ according to the Florida Division of Historic Resources, because it is the Â“rst anyone has found a paleo-environment from the Archaic Period in the Americas that survived sea level rise since the last ice age Â„ one that also includes buried human remains.Manasota KeyÂs underwater ÂgraveyardÂ yielding 7,000-year-old secretsÂ‘Globally significantÂ’ discoveryBy STEVE REILLYSTAFF WRITERDISCOVERY | 5Despite a steady decline in gas prices in February, area drivers should ready themselves for another spike in gas prices. According to AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, the downward price trend is coming to an end. ReÂ“neries are entering their seasonal maintenance period, according to a AAA Â„ The Auto Club Group press release. This period can place ÂsigniÂ“cant upward pressure on prices at the pump.ÂŽ According to the release, maintenance season has resulted in gas price jumps of between 15-75 cents from February to June. Last year, pump prices only rose 15 cents during that time because oil prices didnÂt maintain strength. When gasoline jumped 60-70 cents in 2015 and 2016, oil had risen $15 to $20 per barrel. On Wednesday, local gas prices ranged from $2.40 to $2.65 per gallon, with a Mobil station in Punta Gorda and Murphy USA station in North Port having the lowest, at $2.40. Jim and Deb Westphal were Â“lling up at the RaceTrac on U.S. 41 by Charlotte Harbor. AAA: Gasprices expected to riseBy DANIEL SUTPHINSTAFF WRITERPRICES | 5 SUN PHOTOS BY DANIEL SUTPHINJim Westphal pumps gas into his car. PROVIDED BY BRADENTON HERALDFlorida Public Archaeology Network partner NicoleGrinnan measures the test unitÂs depth using a laser level and folding ruler at the Manasota Key Oshore site.NORTH PORT Â„ After an outbreak of a dozen ill people Â„ some diagnosed with LegionnairesÂ disease Â„ in the IslandWalk community, the North Port City Commission erred on the side of caution and canceled a meeting set for tonight. ÂI want to have a conversation but we are within our rights of being cautious,ÂŽ Commissioner Debbie McDowell said. The commission and the West Villages Improvement District planned to host two town hall meetings for residents to learn more about North Port. The Â“rst meeting was set for this Thursday at IslandWalk and the second was scheduled for Thursday, March 15, for the Gran Paradiso residents. On Friday, the Department of Health shut down the hot tub at IslandWalk and the two pools were subsequently shut down later after reports of LegionnairesÂ disease surfaced. OfÂ“cials are in the process of testing and results will be back in Â“ve to 10 days. In the interim, all four commissioners present at a Tuesday night meeting voiced concerns about more residents or even themselves contracting the possible disease. ÂI would just feel so bad if someone else got sick,ÂŽ Commissioner Jill Luke said. Since another town hall meeting is scheduled, the commissioners felt it was best to combine the two. Town hall canceled after reports of LegionnairesÂ diseaseBy LAUREN COFFEY STAFF WRITER SUN PHOTO BY SCOTT LAWSONThe guard building and gates at IslandWalk, a neighborhood of West Villages in North Port.REPORTS | 5CALL US AT941-206-1000CHARLOTTE SUN Pulitzer Prize winner2 0 1 6 AN EDITION OF THE SUNVOL. 126 | NO. 60AMERICAÂS BEST COMMUNITY DAILY Partly sunnyHigh 84 Low 69$1.50 www.yoursun.comTodayÂs weather:www.yoursun.comFIND US ONLINE CHARLIE SAYS ...I am looking forward to the full moon tonight! 705252000258Daily Edition $1.50 Thursday, March 1, 2018 WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR HOPE HICKS RESIGNINGWhite House Communications Director Hope Hicks is resigning. A former fashion model and public relations pro, Hicks, 29, had no political background when Trump asked her to serve on his campaign. Trump praised Hicks for her work over the last three years, saying he Âwill miss having her by my side.ÂŽ See The News Wire INSIDETHE SUN: Crosswords ..............8 Local Sports ......... 12 Obituaries ...............5 Police Beat ..............9 State .....................13 Viewpoint ............6-7OUR TOWN: Calendar ..................4 Classifieds ..........7-13 Local News .....1-6, 13NEWS WIRE: Comics/Puzzles .........7-9 Nation ......................6 Stocks ...................4-5 TV Listings ................6 Weather ...................2World .....................6SPORTS: Lotto .......................2

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Page 2 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 SUBSCRIPTIONS Home Delivery Rates: Newspaper designated market: City ZoneCarrier home delivered 7 days. Rates as follows plus 7% Florida Sales Tax: Monthly Bank/ Credit Card .........................$40.50 3 Months ..........................$121.50 6 Months ..........................$243.00 1 Year ...............................$485.99Does not include Waterline and TV Times. Above rates do not include sales tax.Subscribers residing in outlying areas may incur additional delivery charge. Mail subscription rates: Rates as follows (advance payment required): 7 Days 3 Months 6 Months 1 Year $154.07 $276.35 $492.11 Sunday Only 3 Months 6 Months 1 Year $71.89 $144.61 $243.54Above rates do not include sales tax.Single Copy rates Daily $1.50 Sunday $3.00Unclaimed account balances under $10, inactive for 15 months, will be used to purchase newspapers for classroom use.Sun Newspapers CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY Delivery should be expected prior to 6:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday. Redelivery hours: 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Customer Service hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday Friday; Saturday 7a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; and Sunday 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Call Customer Service for our current specials. To subscribe or to report any problems with your service, please call or visit your local office. Charlotte: 941-206-1300 23170 Harborview Road, Port Charlotte Englewood: 941-681-3000 120 W. Dearborn St., Englewood North Port: 941-429-3000 13487 Tamiami Trail, North Port DeSoto: 863-494-0300 or toll-free at 877-818-6204 108 S. Polk Avenue, Arcadia The SUN (USPS 743170) is published daily at Sun Coast Media Group, Inc., 23170 Harborview Road, Charlotte Harbor, FL 33980-2100. Periodicals postage paid at Punta Gorda, FL. Postmaster: Please send address changes to the SUN, 23170 Harborview Road, Charlotte Harbor, Florida 33980-2100.Publisher .................................................Glen Nickerson ..............941-205-6400 Executive Editor ......................................Jim Gouvellis .................941-206-1134 Regional Director of Advertising .............Robert E. Lee .................941-206-1006 Circulation Director .................................Mark Yero ......................941-206-1300 Arcadian Editor .......................................Craig Garrett .................863-494-3925 Arcadian Publisher ..................................Joe Gallimore ................863-494-7049 Charlotte Sun Editor ................................Garry Overbey ...............941-206-1143 North Port Sun General Manager ............Mike Ruiz ......................941-564-3284 North Port Sun Editor ..............................Scott Lawson ................941-429-3002 Englewood Sun Publisher .......................Carol Y. Moore ...............941-681-3031 Englewood Sun Editor ...............................Chris Porter ...................941-681-3022 Editorial Page Editor ..................................Steve Baumann .............941-681-3003 SUN NEWSPAPERSMember of Alliance for Audited Media For vacation holds, please call Customer Service at 941-206-1300. LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS CHARLOTTE COUNTY Â„ The Charlotte County SheriffÂs OfÂ“ce has opened a new safe exchange zone at its District 2 OfÂ“ce for individuals to conduct business transactions. The ofÂ“ce is located at 992 Tamiami Trail Suite A in Port Charlotte. The SheriffÂs OfÂ“ce has designated areas at each district ofÂ“ce for customers to meet with individuals to buy or sell items resulting from online deals. According to a CCSO press release, websites such as Letgo, OfferUp and other mobile apps have been growing in popularity as conduits for transactions of goods, currency or any type of exchange facilitated by internet services. The E-Commerce Exchange Safe Zone is a proactive program aimed at deterring criminals from preying on victims through fraudulent online transactions. The safe exchange zones are well lit and equipped with video surveillance cameras, offering an enhanced sense of security and reducing the fear of crime. CCSO provides the following tips for meeting an unknown person to buy or sell an item: Â€ Tell a friend or family member where you are going and when to expect you back Â€ If possible, always have someone accompany you Â€ Bring your phone so you can call for help Â€ Meet in a public, well-lit place with people around if you choose not to use the SheriffÂs OfÂ“ce.Email: aeasker@sun-herald.com Charlotte County SheriffÂs Office offers new safe exchange zone for online business transactionsBy ANNE EASKER STAFF WRITER LOCATIONS OF SAFE EXCHANGE ZONES IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY:CCSO District 1 Office: 11051 Wilmington Boulevard, Englewood CCSO District 2 Office: 992 Tamiami Trail Suite A, Port Charlotte CCSO District 3 Office: 3280 Tamiami Trail Suite 505, Port Charlotte CCSO District 4 Office: 7474 Utilities Road, Punta Gorda Punta Gorda Police Department: 1410 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda VENICE Â„ With Sarasota County commissioners of one mind, and Venice city councilmen of another after their meetings Tuesday, the goal of WednesdayÂs joint meeting of the two boards was to reach a meeting of the minds on a parks interlocal agreement. But what had looked like a potential donnybrook after TuesdayÂs meetings quickly dissipated after opening remarks by County Commission Chairwoman Nancy Detert. Referring to a letter which the county sent to all the cities last December, Detert called for a consensus from her board that they rescind the letter, which Venice Mayor John Holic had claimed in various city meetings was a letter of termination. County ofÂ“cials, however, said Holic had it wrong, that the letter was a notice of an intent to terminate, not a termination. DetertÂs opening statements quickly drew supportive comments from fellow commissioners. ÂIÂm one who voted to send the letter, and it was purely for budgetary purposes, which weÂre past now,ÂŽ said Commissioner Charles Hines. ÂNo way this ever meant to disrupt youth sports in the city.ÂŽ ÂWe never intended in our minds and hearts to do harm to WellÂ“eld,ÂŽ Commissioner Alan Maio added, asking staff to put an item to rescind the letter on the next commission meeting in March. ÂI had some comments from City Council but I think you took the wind from our sails,ÂŽ Holic said, wadding up a piece of paper and tossing it over his shoulder. HolicÂs misinterpretation of the letter, however, drew a capacity crowd to the meeting at the Venice Community Center, most of them supporters of the various sports leagues that use WellÂ“eld and Chuck Reiter Parks, the two parks mainly at the center of the dispute between the county and city. Last week, County Administrator Jonathan Lewis and City Manager Ed Lavallee reached an agreement in principal regarding the two parks at the center of the dispute, Chuck Reiter Park and WellÂ“eld Park. While county commissioners found the agreement acceptable during their Tuesday meeting, their city counterparts felt otherwise, led by HolicÂs interpretation of the letter. With the dispute over the letter past them, however, the two boards moved into a general discussion about a new interlocal agreement, much of which centered on the time to develop an agreement. Staff from Sarasota County, Venice find common ground on park controversyBy WARREN RICHARDSONSUN CORRESPONDENTPARK 5 Shell Point is located on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River just 2 miles from the Islands of Sanibel and Captiva. Shell Point is a nonprofit ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance Foundation, Inc. 2018 Shell Point. All rights reserved. SLS-3574-18 EXPLORE SHELL POINT TODAY! ATTEND A DISCOVERY SEMINAR | 9:30 A.M.Reserve today; call (239) 228-4075 or 1-800-780-1131. Or, reserve online at shellpoint.org/seminars.Resort Retirement Lifestyles and the Assurance of Lifecare Unparalleled setting. Unparalleled lifestyle.Â’www.shellpoint.orgTuesday, March 27 Wednesday, March 21 Wednesday, March 28 Tuesday, March 20 adno=50530874

Page 4 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 FROM PAGE ONE found a new deal to get closer to other teamsÂ facilities and reduce travel time to games. ÂIn 1997, (Disney) didnÂt really seem to be a terrible idea, but in the years since, most teams have Â”ed for the coasts, leaving Atlanta Â„ and Detroit Â„ the only ÂinlandÂ teams remaining in the Grapefruit League,ÂŽ said Alan Carpenter, editor for TomahawkTake.com. The Tigers play in Lakeland, about a 45-minute drive from the Wide World of Sports compound in Orlando. The new site will solve the travel issue by putting the Braves Âright in the middleÂŽ of a cluster of teams, said Braves Vice Chairman Schuerholz: ÂThatÂs the great equation for us: Spend more time on the Â“eld and less time on the bus.ÂŽ Five other teams train within an hourÂs bus ride of the BravesÂ planned $110 million complex in West Villages. ÂThere will be nobody in a better place,ÂŽ Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said. Writing for TomahawkTake.com, Carpenter illustrated the point by looking at the 2018 schedule that will result in 44 hours of traveling if they drive 60 mph to cover the 2,638 miles in 13 days of road games. The average: 203 miles per trip. Four are more than 300 miles. ÂNext year? Add the Red Sox, Twins, Rays and Orioles to the schedule,ÂŽ Carpenter said. ÂThe worst West Coast bus ride they will have is from North Port to Dunedin, 92 miles.ÂŽ And replacing Âaging facilities that are not to the BravesÂ tastesÂŽ with a brand new modern complex doesnÂt hurt, according to Eric Cole, who writes about the Braves for Talkingchop. com. ÂThis will be one of the most effective spring-training facilities in baseball at doing its job of training a team to be ready for the regular season,ÂŽ McGuirk said. The project also includes improvements to some of the roadway leading to the new stadium. Hopefully, the North Port debut will not draw the same kind of controversy Disney had in its inauspicious beginning with the Braves. In a $240 million judgment, a jury decided Disney stole the idea for the Wide World of Sports home of the Braves after hearing from the plaintiffs that there were 88 similarities with what they had worked on and presented when they met with the company leaders a few years earlier.The switch from 2019 to 2020Originally, the Braves had planned to wrap up in Disney after this spring season but extended their stay to 2019 to provide more time for stadium construction. It does intend to play its last game of the Grapefruit League next year in North Port before settling in full-time in 2020. ÂI understand the dynamics of the modern training system, but regardless, weÂll really miss the Braves,ÂŽ said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. ItÂs just not the end of the Braves, itÂs the end of Major League Baseball there, spring or regular season. In fact, along with Charlotte, N.C., Orlando is the largest metro area not to have a MLB team it can call its own. ÂBaseball is a huge part of our history, and while IÂm happy that the Braves have extended a year, the fact is, once they leave we will not have any spring training operation in Central Florida. When you think back on our history, including the Minnesota Twins at Tinker Field, the Astros in Osceola County and many more, including way back, when the San Francisco Giants established their spring camp in Sanford, weÂve had a storied relationship with baseball,ÂŽ Jacobs said. ÂOf course, weÂre thrilled with our minor league teams, including the Tortugas in Daytona Beach and Fire Frogs in Kissimmee Â„ the games are great fun and the stadiums are terriÂ“c Â„ but in many ways, this is a real milestone. The chance to get up close with the players, to meet the star athletes and watch the games, thatÂs really an irreplaceable family and fan experience.ÂŽ The experience for fans and players at Disney is Âunique,ÂŽ like no other, said James Parr, 31, an Orlando resident whoÂs a former Braves pitcher. ÂThereÂs a special feel,ÂŽ Parr said. ÂYouÂre in Disney World playing baseball.ÂŽ Braves fan Justin Coccia, a 46-year-old Orlando resident, agrees. ÂItÂs a beautiful stadium. IÂve always enjoyed it. Staff is great. The players are good. The players are accessible. The food is good,ÂŽ Coccia said. ÂI found it a little bit more expensive than the other facilities I visited, but hey, itÂs worth it.ÂŽ Pricing, parking and trafÂ“c are among the complaints fans have had. ÂI like the fact that theyÂre staying in Disney an extra year, but the complaint I have every year is how expensive it is,ÂŽ said Kevin Montgomery, a 28-yearold fan from Atlanta. Still, thereÂs no question the Disney-Braves pairing draws visitors, and that was illustrated when the Orlando stadium lease extension was recently announced. ÂLook at you Braves,ÂŽ tweeted Jordan Curry. ÂYÂall just secured this girlÂs Â“ght to get her husband to renew our Disney annual passes.ÂŽ Even 33-year-old North Port resident David Schutte said heÂll make the drive this season and next, as he has with his friends from Atlanta for years. He understands the delay though heÂs not that enthused about a ÂfrustratingÂŽ three hours on the road again to Disney in 2019, too. Still, local fans can get a glimpse of the Braves on the road on March 10 and March 16 in Bradenton, the closest point the club plays this spring. ÂI was bummed,ÂŽ said Schutte, the Edgewater Church youth pastor. ÂI think it is still going to be a good thing for the city, and IÂm kind of glad that theyÂre taking the time to do it right.ÂŽ That Âgood thingÂŽ comes in many packages including the publicity once the Braves do set up camp in North Port. For example, every year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, along with other outlets in the countryÂs 9th largest metro area of nearly 6 million, do a spring training preview that includes Central Florida travel tips for their readers heading south. Of course, The Mouse is touted, but so are Universal Studios, golf, miniature golf, environmental venues, NBA basketball, shopping and museums, among other attractions. Also of note for a city located smack dab in the center of a peninsula: The sand and surf is another two hours away. And thatÂs where North Port comes in. At times, the Braves could get lost in the shufÂ”e in Orlando, with Âa billion other things to do,ÂŽ Coccia said. He said North Port should be successful with fans hungry for a Braves and beach experience. ÂThe smaller town. The beach town. They have equal opportunity to draw the people that donÂt live there and the people who live there,ÂŽ Coccia said. ÂTheyÂll just go there and go to the beaches and do whatever, because itÂs actually more focused on the game. I think people will go there speciÂ“cally for baseball.ÂŽ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution supplemented this report.TEAMFROM PAGE 1 Getting to know the Braves: AnintroductionThe Braves hosted their first spring training game of the season this week. Here are some players fans are following: Freddie Freeman The BravesÂ best player is entering his eighth full major-league season, and heÂs only 28. Freeman is returning to first base after shifting to third last season after Matt Adams was acquired. Adams signed with the Washington Nationals, but Freeman Â„ a career .290hitter with some pop (166 home runs on the back of his baseball card) Â„ likely isnÂt going anywhere. He issigned through 2021. Ender Inciarte The center fielder is coming off a breakout season. Inciarte made his first all-star team en route to a 201-hit season, and he has won Gold Gloves the past two seasons. He is always one batted ball away from a highlight-reel play. Ronald Acuna The 20-year-old outfielder began last season with the Class A Florida Fire Frogs in Kissimmee. Now he is in majorleague spring training as perhaps baseballÂs best prospect this side of Shohei Ohtani. The Braves are banking on Acuna winning a job in left field. Ozzie Albies Acuna is at the forefront of the BravesÂ youth movement, but their loaded minorleague system also produced Albies. He passed a 57-game, major-league audition last year and is atop the depth chart at second base. Albies is so young (21 years old) and so good, making the Braves understandably excited about the future. Dansby Swanson Swanson, 24, has experienced so much for a player so young Â„ being drafted No. 1 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015, being traded the same year and being demoted last season. He and Inciarte arrived in the same trade. While one has flourished, the other is looking to rebound. Swanson is the projected starter at shortstop. Nick Markakis Entering his 13th majorleague season, Markakis is a silent, steady contributor. The right fielder ranks in the top 10 among active majorleaguers in career hits (2,052). How surprising is that? Although Markakis doesnÂt possess much pop in his bat, the Braves can count on Markakis as they infuse youth into the lineup.Source: Orlando Sentinel writer Stephen Ruiz ATTENDANCE HISTORY: BRAVES, RAYS, ORIOLESSpring training this decade 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Rays Total: 97,971 95,859 87,916 106,102 78,624 80,406 68,584 78,734 Average: 6,531 6,391 5,495 5,895 5,616 5,360 5,276 4,631 Orioles Total: 102,219 115,506 106,398 120,455 89,448 112,238 119,029 115,571 Average: 6,815 7,219 7,093 8,797 8,602 8,535 7,439 7,223 Braves Total: 106,065 137,236 127,321 131,811 124,493 127,112 103,574 120,812 Average: 7,576 8,073 7,489 7,490 7,323 9,980 6,473 6,712 Source: Florida Sports Foundation NEW BRAVESÂ STADIUM $100 million state-of-the-art training complex Near River Road and U.S. 41 in North Port 6,200 fixed seats and 1,000 berm seats Six full and two half practice fields Batting cages and pitching mounds 55,000 square feet of clubhouse and office space Outfield dimensions, outfield wall heights and foul territory will mirror those at SunTrust Park, regular season home of the BravesÂ„ Source: West Villages, ajc.com FLORIDA SPRINGTRAINING HISTORY: BRAVES, RAYS, ORIOLESAtlanta/Milwaukee/Boston Braves Years in Florida: 95 including 71 consecutive 1906 Jacksonville 1916-18 Miami 1922-37 St. Petersburg 1938-40 Bradenton 1942 Sanford 1946-47 Ft. Lauderdale 1948-62 Bradenton 1963-97 West Palm Beach 1998-2019 Orlando 2020-future North Port Tampa Bay Rays Years in Florida: 19 1998-2008 St. Petersburg 2009-now Port Charlotte Baltimore Orioles (formerly St. Louis Browns) Years in Florida: 74 including 58 consecutive 1914 St. Petersburg 1925-27 Tarpon Springs 1928-36 West Palm Beach 1942 Deland 1947 Miami 1955 Daytona Beach 1959-90 Miami 1991 Sarasota 1992-95 St. Petersburg 1996-2009 Fort Lauderdale 2010-now Sarasota Source: Florida Sports Foundation, Orlando Sentinel, Sun research GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE SCHEDULESAtlanta Braves (at Wide World of Sports in Disney World) Mar 1: Nationals Mar 3: Cardinals Mar 4: Marlins Mar 5: Pirates Mar 8: Astros Mar 9: Yankees Mar 12: Phillies Mar 13: Blue Jays Mar 14: Phillies Mar 15: Tigers Mar 17: Cardinals Mar 19: Blue Jays Mar 21: Tigers Mar 23: Tigers Mar 24: Yankees Tampa Bay Rays (at Charlotte Sports Park in Murdock) March 1: Orioles March 2: Phillies March 6: Red Sox March 7: Orioles March 9: Twins March 11: Twins March 15: Twins March 18: Tigers March 21: Red Sox March 23: Blue Jays March 25: Yankees Baltimore Orioles (at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota) March 2: Pirates March 4: Red Sox March 8: Blue Jays March 10: Pirates March 11: Phillies March 14: Yankees March 17: Blue Jays March 18: Mets March 20: Rays March 22: Red Sox March 23: Rays March 24: Twins Source: MLB, which included split-squad games as well; go to mlb.com for tickets. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SARASOTA COUNTYProgress on BravesÂ stadium as of February 2018.AP PHOTORENDERING PROVIDED BY SARASOTA COUNTYRendering of future BravesÂ stadium.

PAGE 5

The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 5 FROM PAGE ONECHARLOTTE Amy Jo ConradAmy Jo Conrad, 52, of Port Charlotte, FL passed away Monday February 26, 2018 at her home at Promenades East in Port Charlotte, Florida. Born June 17, 1965, Amy was the daughter of Joseph W. and Joan C. Skowyra. Amy was a graduate of Lowville Academy in upstate New York and obtained her BA from the University of New York at Geneseo. As an Art History Major, Amy studied one semester abroad in Sienna, Italy. Her career started at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY where she worked in the Costume Department in the Theatre Arts Department and learned from the best and was able to hone her craft. She later moved to New York City, and found a job with Theatre Works USA, a national traveling childrenÂs theatre company making costumes. She got her first break as a costumer and seamstress in a movie called ÂCopy CatÂŽ with Sigourney Weaver. Word got around about her work ethic and skills and one opportunity seemed to follow another. Her television credits include: The Mysteries of Laura, The Knick, Boardwalk Empire, Smash, Damages and Spin City with Michael J. Fox. She was the Key Costumer on movies starring; Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams, Scarlet Johansen, Bill Murray, Sharon Stone, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Ray Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Tom Cruise and others too numerous to mention. AmyÂs clothing designs were featured in five national magazines, including People Magazine, In Style and Kate Hudson appeared on the cover of US Weekly in 2003 wearing a design by Amy that won best dressed. When Amy started losing her vision, due to diabetes, it became impossible to work on set and she moved to Florida three years ago to be near her parents and start a new life. Despite her condition and vision problems, Amy was a bright, happy woman who had a quick wit, loved to laugh and always brought joy to everyone who knew her. The past months of her life were the happiest when she met and fell in love with Michael Conrad. Amy and Mike were married December 16, 2017. Survivors include her loving husband Michael Conrad, her parents, Joe and Joan Skowyra, her sisters, Julie A. Stone (Andy), Kathleen R. Skowyra (Bill), Wendy Rose, her niece Emily Baccaglini, her uncle James P. Minton (Jane), her cat Tiger and many friends. A Celebration of AmyÂs life will be held at Promenades East Club House, 21405 Olean Blvd. Port Charlotte on Saturday March 3, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of Â”owers donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org. Please visit kays-ponger. com to leave the family your thoughts, memories and condolences on the online guestbook. Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.Donald A. DemingDonald A. Deming, 85, of Port Charlotte, Florida, passed away on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Arrangements are by Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory. Pay respects at www. charlottememorial.com.Patricia P. GoodwinPatricia ÂPattyÂŽ P. Goodwin, 79, of Port Charlotte, Florida, passed away Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. She was born on Dec. 8, 1938, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Patty lived with her mother Louise Hoffman on Boca Grande, Florida, for 30-plus years. She was member of Lighthouse Methodist Church. She is survived by sisters Dolores Treece, of Ashville, North Carolina, and Boca Grande, Mamie Baucom of Charleston, South Carolina, Peggy and (Fred) Sprankle of Deltona, Florida, and Anne and (Dave) Haehnle of Greenwood, South Carolina; 11 nieces and nephews; and many greatnieces and nephews. A visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. with funeral services to follow on Monday, March 5, 2018, at Lemon Bay Funeral Home in Englewood. She will be buried at Gulf Pines Memorial Park of Englewood. You may express your condolences to the family at lemonbayfh. com. Arrangements are by Lemon Bay Funeral Home.Thomas Patrick SharkeyThomas Patrick Sharkey, 87, of Punta Gorda, Florida, passed away Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. Arrangements are by ICS Cremation Services.Ernie Lee WilsonErnie Lee Wilson, 71, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 at his home. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Versailles, Kentucky. Ernie was a plumber who also served our country in the Air Force. He enjoyed saltwater Â“shing, playing softball, hunting, and loved to build and repair things. He was greatly loved and will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Ernie is survived by his wife of 23 years, Samantha; daughters, Lisa Wilson, Sherri (David) Potter; brother, Robert Ray (Betty) Wilson; sisters, Faye Vanmeter, Brenda (Wayne) Dunsmore, Edith Burton, along with many nieces; nephews; and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Bessie Wilson. There will be a celebration of life service at noon Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the Companion Funeral Home, Cleveland Chapel. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:30 a.m. to noon. In lieu of Â”owers, the family asks that you make donations to Kindred Hospice or Bradley County SPCA at www.spcaofbradley countytn.org.ENGLEWOODThere were no deaths reported in Englewood Wednesday. NORTH PORTThere were no deaths reported in North Port Wednesday. DESOTOThere were no deaths reported in DeSoto Wednesday. OBITUARIES OBITUARY POLICY Obituaries are accepted from funeral homes only. An abbreviated death notice can be published for $30. Full obituaries and repeat death notices will be subject to an advertising charge. Obituaries must be received by 2 p.m. for Tuesday through Saturday publication. For Sunday through Monday publication deadline is 3p.m. Friday. In Loving Memories must be received by 2 p.m. for Tuesday through Friday publication. For Saturday through Monday publication deadline is noon on Friday. The American ag accompanying an obituary indicates a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Please send emails to obituaries@sunletter.com. At the time, the price was $2.48 for regular gasoline. ÂWe donÂt drive as much as normal when prices are higher,ÂŽ said Jim. ÂWe minimize our trips.ÂŽ Both Jim and Deb are retired. Despite regular changes in gas prices, Punta Gorda Shell station assistant manager Gloria Butler said there isnÂt much change in business. ÂItÂs just a part of the season,ÂŽ she said. ÂEach year, it gets busier.ÂŽ Charlotte County Commissioner Joe Tiseo owns multiple Pik nÂ Run stores in the county. He said he hasnÂt done a one-year look back but as far as he can tell, gas prices have remained steady in the mid $2.50s. ÂThe prices have been seeming to Â”oat at 10 cents up and down,ÂŽ said Tiseo. ÂWe havenÂt seen 50 cent swings in a while; the prices have stayed steady. I donÂt have customers coming in screaming about high gas prices. They (the prices) havenÂt been north of $3.00 since I can remember. I think most folks are in the comfort zone for gas prices. I donÂt get any complaints about gas prices being unreasonable.ÂŽ Zack Bullis drives a Ford Excursion. He said his vehicle gets 8.5 to 10 miles per gallon. He believes gas price increases do have an inÂ”uence on drivers. ÂSome people are struggling (already) and itÂs important to be able to drive. You have to think about how much youÂre spending.ÂŽ According to Jenkins, energy prices will be rising again, which should end the February decline in prices for gasoline. ÂWholesale gasoline prices jumped last week,ÂŽ said Jenkins, Âamid reports that reÂ“nery activity along the Gulf coast is slowing down. This will make it more expensive for retailers to purchase gasoline, and that added expense will eventually be passed along to the consumer. Based on movements in the market last week, the short-term increase could amount to only a few cents, but motorists should expect a minimum total increase of 20-30 cents this spring.ÂŽ According to the AAA press release, FebruaryÂs gas prices were at their highest in four years. Florida gas prices declined during the past month for a total discount of 16 cents. The state average Wednesday was $2.53, which was 6 cents less than the previous week and 4 cents less than the previous month. Motorists are paying 25 cents per gallon more than this time last year. Email: dsutphin@sun-herald.comPRICESFROM PAGE 1AAA REPORTS THE HIGHEST RECORDED AVERAGE PRICE AS: Price DateRegular Unleaded $4.114 7/17/08 Diesel $4.845 7/17/08 NATIONAL AVERAGE GAS PRICES AS OF FEB. 28: Regular Mid-Grade Premium Diesel E85 Current Avg. $2.530 $2.817 $3.066 $2.955 $2.096 Yesterday Avg. $2.518 $2.811 $3.061 $2.953 $2.090 Week Ago Avg. $2.526 $2.817 $3.066 $2.963 $2.091 Month Ago Avg. $2.577 $2.852 $3.099 $2.970 $2.112 Year Ago Avg. $2.300 $2.568 $2.812 $2.522 $2.010Source: AAA The scientists and state ofÂ“cials are keeping the exact location of the Manasota Key offshore site secret and protected, partly out of respect for the individuals buried there and for their living descendants. ÂWeÂve been in contact with the Seminoles and Miccosukees,ÂŽ Mark Ard, spokesman for the Floria Bureau of Archaeological Research, said, referring to two of FloridaÂs Native American tribes. An amateur diver Â“rst discovered the site in 2016. So far, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of six people Â„ males and females, adults and children Â„ Ard said. ÂThis is a signiÂ“cant site,ÂŽ said Ryan Duggins, the bureauÂs underwater archaeological supervisor. He and other researchers were exploring the site two weeks ago. The burial site was used by a Paleo-Native Americans during the time referred to as the ÂArchaic Period.ÂŽ While the site is now 21 feet deep on the Gulf bottom, archaeologists estimate it was nine feet above sea level at the time of the indigenous peopleÂs deaths. At the time, sea level was 35 feet or more lower than it is now, Duggins said, and the shoreline extended four to Â“ve miles further out into the Gulf. The burial grounds had been in a freshwater pond with a peat bottom. The peat that covered the bodies is key, because it slowed the decay of organic matter and helped preserve the site and human remains for all these years. ÂThese people were careful,ÂŽ Duggins said, describing how the bodies were wrapped in woven cloth, surrounded with wooden stakes and laid to rest so the bodies remained on the peat bottom of the pond. The burial practice itself was older than the burial mounds found in the Englewood and elsewhere in Southwest Florida. Finding the site demonstrates that other archaeological sites may still be lying preserved and hidden beneath Gulf waters, Duggins suggested. More than 12,000 years ago, the Â“rst people migrated into the Florida peninsula. Unlike other PaleoNative American cultures, agriculture never took root in Florida, and the people developed hunter-gatherer cultures, said William Locascio, a Florida Gulf Coast University assistant professor of anthropology. He described FloridaÂs Archaic populations as being Âsemi-sedentary,ÂŽ moving from camp to camp. While not working on the Manasota Key site, Locascio is conducting similar archaeological research in Okeechobee and elsewhere in Florida. Archaeological sites need to be protected and preserved for research, both Duggins and Locascio said.Email: reilly@sun-herald.comDISCOVERYFROM PAGE 1ÂGiven the circumstances and in the best interest of everyone, we already have the 15th scheduled,ÂŽ Vice Mayor Linda Yates said, referring to the second scheduled meeting at SCF-Venice. ÂIf that space accommodates everyone, letÂs do it at one time.ÂŽ The March 15 meeting is from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., in Building 800, in the Selby Room. Paul Erhardt, president for the West Villages, said they are Â“ne with the commissionÂs decision. ÂThe City is conducting the meeting and made the decision,ÂŽ he said in an email. ÂRegardless of the Â“nal time and place, as the developer of West Villages, we think it will be a productive discussion and look forward to hearing what the City and residents discuss.ÂŽ Email: lcoey@sun-herald.com REPORTSFROM PAGE 1 the county and city will continue drafting a new agreement to bring to their respective boards. ÂI look forward to getting this deal done so we can move forward with the plans for these parks,ÂŽ Hines said. Pressed then for a date, Lewis said he thought it could happen fairly quickly, probably within sixty days he added. Hampering the details on a new agreement are an estimated $2.1 million in capital improvements needed at WellÂ“eld and Chuck Reiter Parks. As several county and city elected leaders noted, both governments are facing budgetary issues which add further complications to reaching an agreement. ÂSpeaking for myself and I think most of council, thereÂs a deÂ“nite commitment to get this done,ÂŽ Councilman Bob Daniels said. ÂThereÂs just a lot of complexity... Venice deserves a much better complex than we have now.ÂŽ Many of the people who spoke to the joint boards in the comment session at the end of the agenda spoke approvingly of the efforts by both boards to work together and reach an agreement. ÂIÂm really hopeful that we continue to see that spirit of cooperation happen,ÂŽ Michelle Accardi said. The current interlocal agreement between the county and city will expire on Sept. 30, 2019. Email: jondaltonwr@gmail.comPARKFROM PAGE 2 JAMES W. MALLONEE, P.A. LAW OFFICE JAMES W. MALLONEE PROBATE WILLS/TRUSTS GUARDIANSHIPS REAL ESTATE Office Hours Â… Monday thru Friday, 9:00AM to 5:00PM 9 46 Tamiami Trail, #206, Port Charlotte, FL 33953 871 Venetia Bay Blvd. Suite #225, Venice, FL 34285 (941) 207-2223 www.jameswmallonee.com (941) 206-2223 adno=50530444 SIMPLE CREMATIONPRE-ARRANGEMENT OFFER FOR $ 1495 00 EA.ROYAL PALMMEMORIAL GARDENSUrn Not Included27200 Jones Loop Rd., Punta Gorda (941) 639-2381in association with FL Pre-Planning Alliance & Fort Myers Memorial Funeral Homewww.royalpalmmemorial.comLimited Time Offer adno=50530869

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Page 6 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 OUR VIEW LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters are welcome on virtually any subject, but we do have some rules. Please keep them to less than 250 words. Letters will be edited to length as well as for grammar and spelling. All letters must be signed with full name Â„ not initials. An address and telephone number must be included. The phone number and address are not for publication, but must be provided. Due to the number of letters received, we are able to run only one letter per person per month. The Letters to the Editor section is designed as a public forum for community discourse, and the opinions and statements made in letters are solely those of the individual writers. The newspaper takes no responsibility for the content of these letters. Please send or bring correspondence to the Sun Letters to the Editor, 23170 Harborview Road, Charlotte Harbor, FL 33980. Readers may email Letters to the Editor at letters@sun-herald.com. Further questions or information, call 941-681-3003. HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOREmail letters to letters@sun-herald.comPublisher Â„ Glen Nickerson Executive editor Â„ Jim Gouvellis Editorial page editor Â„ Stephen Baumann Commentary Editor Â„ John Hackworth V IEWPOINTParkland students led astray by liberals Catching troubled students early key Gun safety laws can make a dierence We must declare war on lobbyists A questionable comparison The best system money can buyEditor: It is sad to see the political direction the aftermath of the tragedy in Parkland has taken. The immediate comments by those students showed great composure and maturity in time of such tragedy and confusion. God bless the families and friends of those lost. The students desires to become involved is to be commended. Unfortunately, liberal political leaders and media outlets are leading these students down the unfounded path of gun bans regardless of facts. Somehow, the NRA conservatives and even Article 2 of our Constitution are all to blame for the act of a sick, barely human being. This is manifested in the overwhelming focus on the AR-15 type riÂ”e. According to FBI crime statistics riÂ”es are involved in only a fraction of murders in this county. (From FBI. gov): Total murder victims, 11,961. Of those, 248 were due to riÂ”es, 262 due to shotguns. Handguns were the majority at 5,562. Even Âpersonal weapons (hands, Â“sts, feet, etc.ÂŽ resulted in more murders, at 660, as did, ÂBlunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.)ÂŽ at 435. So when politicians run around calling for a ban on AR-15 type riÂ”es its just for show to get votes. I just wish we had leaders who would guide these young folks into fact Â“nding, analysis and logical suggestions instead of just putting them on a bus with the typical anti-gun agenda of the left. Maybe they could make a difference.Ronald Wozniak Port CharlotteEditor: Looking at troubled students. Looking at reality. The other day I had an opportunity to informally discuss the issue with a school secretary in her neighborhood. (School secretaries are up front and are known to run the elementary and middle schools while principals are dealing with Âhigher authorityÂŽ issues Â„ i.e., budget, test results, parents, etc.) My question: ÂDo you think if we asked teachers in these grades to identify one troubled student, they would Editor: Instead of lamenting the lack of action on providing enhanced gun safety laws by our elected ofÂ“cials, you can do your part to help diminish the slaughter of our schoolchildren and others. First of all, I was a lifelong Republican who left the party because I donÂt know who they are anymore. So I am an independent. I am a lifelong gun owner who enjoys using my Â“rearms. I am no longer a NRA member because of the extremism that overtook that organization. I think I am like most Americans. I want good-paying jobs for our citizens, fair taxes, access to health care and security from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. What can you do to improve gun safety laws? Make sure you vote. Commit to bringing two friends, neighbors, etc., to the polls when you go. Make sure you are registered to vote, and use an absentee ballot if youÂre not available to go to the polls on Election Day. Editor: Tragic and near death experiences have a way of making things both transparent and transforming, whether itÂs a heart attack, a head-on collision, or surviving a school shooting. The courageous students and parents who descended upon Tallahassee had their transforming moment. It occurred with the realization that their representatives who were supposed to be protecting them were completely tone deaf and only concerned about protecting their ofÂ“ce and all its perks. It is more alarming when you think about this happening on every level of government where lobbyists are dictating policy and actually writing legislation for our so-called lawmakers. This is, without saying, having a devastating impact on our quality of life. ItÂs corroding everything we treasure and value as human beings. ItÂs destroying our oceans, forests water resources, educational system, health care and most of all our democracy. So we should feel proud of the survivors demanding change but realize there is a long war ahead.Peter M. Paschke Port CharlotteEditor: I thought I had heard it all, but comparing Donald Trump to King David takes Â“rst prize. It is comparing one scoundrel to another. At least King David confessed his actions and sought GodÂs forgiveness. In TrumpÂs own words: He never asks for forgiveness nor says he is sorry. He never found the need to. Folks who believe that TrumpÂs favorite book is the Bible are the folks who fall for the old Â“nger under the nose trick. His favorite passage: ÂTwoÂŽ Corinthians! Duh!John Marshall EnglewoodEditor: The ÂIncompetent in ChiefÂŽ in Washington, D.C., just announced that he wants to offer bonuses to teachers who will be armed in the class room? Has he even further lost his mind? Why doesnÂt he just announce to the world that he is in the pocket of the NRA on a full-time basis? What would Las Vegas have been like had a few guns had been in the audience. Everyone shooting at everyone else. I think of the teachers I had in school and shudder to think of any of them with guns. Now we will have teachers shooting at teachers, and at students? I am a gun owner. I own collectible guns and modern guns, and support the Second Amendment, but I refuse to join the NRA, even though I receive letters ever month offering membership. Our congressmen and now this so-called ÂpresidentÂŽ are in the pocket of the NRA, and little more that puppets dancing to its tune. When will we as voters have the intestinal fortitude to stand up and demand the parties run and then vote for Wait for Braves Â… one more yearIt came as a disappointment when the Atlanta Braves announced one month ago they would delay their move to a new ballpark in West Villages-North Port until 2020, a year behind schedule. Or, to save face and dip their toes in the Gulf waters, that theyÂd likely play a single game Â„ the Â“nal game Â„ of the 2019 Grapefruit League season in their new North Port park. One and done, until the next season. Disappointing. Of course. The announcement seemed an acknowledgment that, from the outset, the construction schedule was extremely ambitious. OfÂ“cials from the Braves organization, Sarasota County and the city of North Port celebrated the ofÂ“cial groundbreaking last October. Just before that, Sarasota-based Tandem Construction had taken over as contractor from an Atlanta Â“rm. An unfortunate hiccup. And with a 14-month construction schedule, all hiccups were magniÂ“ed. The result is the Braves will play another year of home games at ESPNÂs Wide World of Sports complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Â„ minus, perhaps, the one game. When they arrive here they will Â“nd a new $100 million sports complex with 6,500 Â“xed seats and another 2,500 general admission and berm spots. Plus six and a half practice Â“elds and a 55,000-squarefoot clubhouse and Â“tness center. Plus a year-round sports academy. All in all, what we expect to be a jewel of a sports facility. All a fair distance from the Disney World facility Â„ and a far different recreational experience for Braves fans who make the trek south. In Orlando, spring training baseball competed with, or complemented, an extraordinary variety of theme parks and related developments. It was a crowded Â“eld Â„ not only with recreational alternatives, but larger crowds and more trafÂ“c. Here, we have Gulf beaches and a slower pace. And other teams nearby. As a Page 1 story today notes, a big draw was our proximity to other Grapefruit League home parks: The Rays in Port Charlotte, the Orioles in Sarasota, the Red Sox and Twins in Lee County and the Pirates in Bradenton. Others along the coast to the north. Wait Âtil the very end of next year, hopefully, and then Âtil the following year before the home stretch begins. For 30 years, possibly more. By 2050, we wonÂt recall the early disappointment. be able do it?ÂŽ Her cryptic response: ÂOne troubled student?ÂŽ That response reminded me of my initial teaching experience. I had two in the seventh grade and the same two in eighth grade. One had his father accompany him to school one day to beat him with a baseball bat on site awaiting my Ânegative report.ÂŽ I realized then we certify doctors. We certify teachers. One deals with the body; the other with the mind. We do not certify parents. One student went on to prison. The other was killed in a gang war. Unfortunately, the school district did not have Â“nancial resources to provide professional support services for such required remediation. Interesting to note in a recent polling in Charlotte County, school administrators and teachers ranked very high to expend anticipated referendum-motivated funds to provide additional guidance counselors and social workers. It would appear this one strategy. remediating mental and social behaviors would earn the support of a community concerned about its quality of life.Norm Goldman Punta GordaFinally, the NRA makes it easy to choose who to vote for. Any candidate rated A or A-plus by the NRA is a paid agent of the corrupt NRA. Until our legislators develop some backbone and just say no to their money, nothing will change. See you at the polls and God bless America.Ted Mottola Cape Hazepoliticians who will stand for the will of the people not the will of the lobbyist who supply the most money. We have the best political system in the world, but it is still riddled with problems. As has been said, ÂWe have the best politician money can buy.ÂŽ Sam Harris Punta GordaEditor: I noticed you printed a letter writer who writes you have denied her rights to free speech by not printing her whole letter to the editor. Whoa there, Pilgrim. You, as editor of the newspaper, also have freedom of speech rights. You also have freedom of the press, giving you more or less the right to print what you wish, or not to print at all. She seems to think her rights supersedes your rights. The Sun is a mighty Â“ne newspaper and you should never print anything you do not wish to print. The way I see things, you have the right to print anything you wish as long as you do not tell a lie, print untrue news. If you print anything I donÂt like, I tend to just skip that part. This I do when talking with someone or listening to speeches, talks, programs. By the way, I do know that you have the right to print this letter or not to print it. IÂm not sure if you have the right to change any part of this letter before printing it, unless you clearly print that part of my letter was changed by you. Of course you may delete parts of this letter as long as that deletion does not change the meaning or intent of the letter. Do not give up your rights.Bill Timm North PortAnother view of speech freedomsCORRECTIONA letter to the editor in TuesdayÂs Sun was incorrect. The Peter J. Shanks Charlotte County Marine Corps League Detachment 756 is at full capacity and still meeting regularly. Feral hogs are non-native nuisance animals that ravage open land throughout Southwest Florida. They eat plants and smaller animals. They root in the ground, leaving huge ruts and damaging the environment. ThatÂs why governments have eradication programs to rid public land of as many of the wild animals as possible. Not pretty, but necessary. On a recent Sunday morning, a helicopter Â”ew above the 46,000acre Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. Inside was a sniper shooting wild hogs from the sky. As one local resident told the Sun later, the scene she saw was like something rom the movie, ÂApocalypse Now.ÂŽ Cue the ÂValkyries!ÂŽ Yikes! The chopper-shoot was part of the U.S. Department of AgricultureÂs Feral Swine program, contracted through state park system. Trapping hadnÂt worked very well. The agency thought aerial shooting was safer than ground shooting. Maybe this is the safest and most efÂ“cient way to kill these brutes. WeÂre no experts. But we can say this: Apparently, no one warned the Charlotte County SheriffÂs OfÂ“ce or the people in local neighborhood beforehand. So what were people to think? WeÂll be looking for the public alert notice next time, if thereÂs a next time.Chopper alert: Yes, please alert

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The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 7 VIEWPOINT LETTERS TO THE EDITORDreamers have had chance for citizenshipEditor: In response to give ÂdreamersÂŽ shot at citizenship So-called dreamers have had every chance to become a citizen of the USA, just as your grandfather did when he came from Germany. They opted not to. Why should we just give them citizenship if theyÂre not willing to earn it, as our grandfathers did.Sue Burke North PortA few weeks before the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas) invited a special guest to attend the State of the Union address: Stephen Willeford, the hero who just months earlier had stopped a mass shooter at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Tex. An ordinary citizen who heard the shots from his home across the street, Willeford grabbed his weapon, ran to the scene barefoot (knowing every second he delayed could mean another life lost) and exchanged Â“re with the gunman, wounding him in the leg and torso. When the killer jumped into his vehicle to escape, Willeford stopped a passing vehicle and followed in hot pursuit until the shooter crashed his car and shot himself in the head. Willeford says heÂs not a hero. ÂIÂm no brave man. I was terriÂ“ed,ÂŽ he said after the shooting. But, he added, ÂI was there when nobody else was.ÂŽ Thank God he was. HereÂs something else you need to know about Willeford. First, he is a longtime National RiÂ”e Association instructor; it was his NRA training that allowed him to subdue the shooter. Second, the weapon he used to stop the killing spree in Sutherland Springs was an AR-15 Â„ the very weapon gun-control advocates now want to ban. Without an AR-15, he says, he might not have stopped the killer. ÂIf I had run out of the house with a pistol and faced a bulletproof vest and Kevlar and helmets, it might have been futile,ÂŽ he said. Because of his weapon, his training and his courage, countless lives were probably saved. They could have used a Stephen Willeford in Parkland. Keep his story in mind as you watch the current movement to boycott the NRA and ban so-called assault weapons. In the wake of the Parkland shooting at least a dozen companies Â„ including United Airlines, Delta, Best Western and First National Bank of Omaha Â„ have joined the NRA boycott. Chubb Limited insurance even announced it would cancel a program, ÂNRA Carry Guard,ÂŽ which provided insurance for NRA members who faced lawsuits for using their weapons in self-defense. When companies do this, they are not boycotting lobbyists in Washington; they are boycotting upstanding citizens such as Willeford. He and his fellow gun owners deserve better. The NRA is a grassroots organization made up of millions of decent, patriotic Americans who believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens make our country safer, not more dangerous. To suggest that it is responsible for what happened in Parkland is obscene. Police ofÂ“cers were called to shooter Nikolas CruzÂs house on 39 separate occasions since 2010. The FBI was warned about the shooter in January and failed to adhere to its own procedures to follow up. An armed sheriffÂs deputy was on the scene at the shooting, but he failed to act. And yet somehow the NRA is at fault? Please. The NRA is far from perfect. IÂve criticized the NRA leadershipÂs resistance to legislation banning Âbump stocks.ÂŽ And there is nothing sacrosanct about the age of 18 for buying certain guns (or voting for that matter). But NRA members have done more to prevent gun deaths, and promote Â“rearms safety, than any other citizensÂ association in the country. When Democrats respond to shootings like the one in Parkland by demonizing the NRA and calling for a ban on weapons such as the AR-15 that are critical to AmericansÂ right to self-defense, they send a clear and unmistakable message to millions of gun owners across the country: We donÂt respect you or your gun rights. This makes it harder to reach bipartisan agreement on solutions that could improve public safety without threatening the fundamental constitutional right of Americans to keep and bear arms. We all want to keep guns out of the hands of mentally unstable people such as Nikolas Cruz. But we should all want to keep guns in the hands of responsible citizens such as Stephen Willeford. ThatÂs not the case today. Willeford deserves a medal, not a boycott. If corporate America canÂt Â“gure that out and continues capitulating to the NRA boycott movement, maybe it is time for gun owners to boycott them. Marc A. Thiessen is a Washington Post columnist.Attacking NRA is attacking everyday Americans Marc A. Thiessen Editor: Retiring Rep. Thomas Rooney was scheduled Feb. 20 to attend a meeting of the Sarasota County Republican Party in Nokomis. Indivisible groups from Venice, Englewood and the Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area elected to politely greet the congressman when he came to the event respectfully ask that he hold a town hall meeting. A similar strategy was effective a year ago and resulted in Rooney holding a town hall in Englewood. The meeting was well attended and gave constituents a chance to discuss areas of concern such as health care and the Russia investigation. According to an ABC-7 report from Sarasota, the secretary of the Sarasota Republican party was quoted as saying Congressman Rooney canceled his attendance because he was concerned that the Indivisible groups would cause violence. The Indivisible groups involved have requested that Rep. Rooney clarify his comments or that he disavow them. As of Feb. 22, Rep. Rooney has not responded to this request. The Indivisible movement was started after the election of Donald Trump to oppose policies and actions which are in opposition to the highest values of America. The movement goes to great pains to be respectful and peaceful, while presenting their views. Rep. Rooney served our country in the military and has been an elected ofÂ“cial for 10 years. It is hard to imagine he would duck out of a planned, event because of unfounded rumors of possible violence. He needs to let us know what really happened.Bill Welsch Punta GordaRep. Rooney: Please tell truthEditor: The school shooting in Parkland was a terrible tragedy, but this is not a gun issue, this is about protecting children from evil, pure and simple. Airports have security, buildings have armed security, but not our schools? What is wrong with this picture? Schools should have metal detectors and armed police officers or security guards to stop someone from entering a gun free zone. All of the gun laws in the world will not stop evil. If someone wants an assault weapon or semi-automatic they can buy them illegally just like they buy drugs. The fact is there are millions of guns out there and if they passed a law today to remove all the guns from everybody only the law-abiding people would turn their guns in. People are protesting against guns, the NRA, and the president when they should be protesting against the FBI who was aware of the shooterÂs intent but did nothing. They have even admitted that protocol was not followed. The FBI has been influenced by liberal politicians for the last eight years and some of the higher-ups in the FBI have shown a liberal bias. Perhaps they are too busy spying on the Republicans to go after the real criminals. If they had been doing their job 17 people would still be alive today. There are no right or wrong answers but as soon as they secure schools and protect the children, that would be a start. Linda Fellin EnglewoodMore gun laws wonÂt stop evilEditor: I must take exception with the letter, ÂDonÂt fall for tax cuts.ÂŽ The writer states that 2017 stock market growth was the same as 2016. Facts tend to differ. Wage growth has picked up over 2009-2016. Remember 2009 was coming off a recession year and 2016 was a slow growth year. Employment in manufacturing job growth is outpacing the 15 prior years. These are the good paying jobs we were told would never come back. The economy is something that rides on emotion as well as government policies. The reduction in regulation, the positive dialogue about business, and a pro-business administration all help the economy grow. This is a signiÂ“cant difference from the last eight years. Now to these ÂcrumbsÂŽ that the Dems are talking about. Over 3 million people so far have got a bonus or a raise. Some got both. The writer derides this as a stunt only. ItÂs never enough, even as more companies announce more bonuses and raises. The tax cut, remember, just into effect. More companies plan expansion in our country, meaning more jobs, more opportunity. Now if we can get the Democrats to help with solving the illegal immigrant problem it will be a great 2018.Je C. Gruber North PortMore expansion, more opportunityEditor: Parking in Florida in general is not existent in the typical store, restaurant, public place. There is one exception that needs to be mentioned, that places of worship have ample parking for all their services that include the most attended ones (Christmas, Easter and all other high holy days). If I go to someplace of interest and there is little or no parking I will cross that off my list of places to go and donÂt go there. I consider myself entitled to a parking space without a two-thirds block walk. The walk at most times of the year tend to work up a sweat or give you an opportunity to experience a Florida shower. I think Laishley Park is the most hopeless place to attempt to go. Parking is non-existent for the capacity of people that need to park to attend any of them. Then you expect people to visit the Wall whom a majority of them are old and some handicapped so a long walk is out of the question. Shame on the city for their example of providing inadequate parking for their parks. If they are not aware of the average age in Punta Gorda they should study up. Maybe a lesson from the ÂheavensÂŽ will show the way to solve parking problems instead of saying thatÂs the way it is. Nice kickoff for the new ÂbrandedÂŽ city.Peter Thibeault Punta GordaNot enough parking in Punta GordaEditor: When I Â“rst visited Punta Gorda in 2001, downtown was shabby. Of only three eateries, one was closed for health reasons. Hurricane Charley brought death and destruction followed by a boom with desirable new amenities. But the peak was around 2013-2014, when it was named the best small city in America. Since then, trafÂ“c has doubled but city leaders are bent on more tourism and resident growth anyway, simultaneously reducing a waterfront parkÂs appeal (Gilchrist) with yet another restaurant to wipe out free music plus more parking but no restroom. Autonomous cars will worsen trafÂ“c. Now I drive from home to shop, then drive back. With autonomous cars, a vehicle must drive to my home, then drive me to shop, then drive me home, then return to its home. Pave over paradise? It already may be too late. Listen up, elected leaders, planners and builders, before that happens. Another drought is emerging as I write this. Highs in the 90s begin earlier, no rain is in the 10-day forecast, and wind threatens to turn Charlotte County from sub-tropics to semi-desert. Yet rising water levels around us mean If the next tropical storm or hurricane brings higher storm surge, serious Â”ooding could occur too. Politicians may debate the causes of rapid climate change until they drop, but that misses the point. ItÂs happening and we all need to focus on dealing with it rather than ignoring it in favor of building more, making money, and pretending itÂs still 1962.Jack Thomas Punta GordaWe canÂt pretend itÂs still 1963Editor: The Sunseeker resort development has been fast-tracked. They proposed a huge waterfront development that does not conform with our master plan or local zoning rules. They easily obtained changes and exemptions that shredded the very concept of local controls. Emboldened, they then proposed annexing public property from Live Oak Park to construct a parking structure, and a signiÂ“cant expansion immediately east of their compound. The CharHarbor CRA recommended against those last sweeteners for the Sunseeker deal. That caused a problem for the County Commissioners, who have proposed a Â“x that would authorize County Administrator Ray Sandrock to act on behalf of the CharHarbor CRA to Âtake necessary steps to close pending or future transactionsÂŽ in order (to) facilitate development. That is bad. That is a clear end-run around the CRA. We must learn who proposed that, and who votes for it. I hope we voters will respond appropriately. Our county commissioners are not property developers speculating with endless taxpayer money. They clearly learned the wrong lesson from the Murdock Â“asco.Ken Miller Harbor HeightsAn end-run around CRA 941-234-3420 www.susanrbrooksdds.com General Dentistry Implants Â€ Cosmetic Â€ Nitrous Oxide Â€ Dentures & One Day Repair Â€ Laser Periodontal Therapy 3440 Conway Blvd. #2A (Behind Post Office) Â€ Port Charlotte DR. SUSAN R. BROOKS Seniors are our Specialty NEW LOW COST DENTURES! HAVING A HARD TIME CHEWING? adno=50527472 adno=50531664 W ESTCHESTER G OLD W ESTCHESTER G OLD & D IAMONDS & D IAMONDS ÂL ET U S R OCK Y OUR W ORLD ÂŽ ÂL ET U S R OCK Y OUR W ORLD ÂŽ We buy and sell diamonds, gold, silver, coins, Rolex and vintage jewelry Port Charlotte Â€ 941-625-0666 Joseph H. Farag, D.M.D. 3441 Conway Blvd, Port Charlotte (941) 764-9555 www.drfarag.com Now Accepting New Patients Laser Gum Therapy Dr. Farag provides the ONLY FDA Approved Laser Gum Therapy for Periodontal Diseases. The 1 st Dentist in Charlotte County to Provide Patients with Laser Gum Therapy! Laser Gum Therapy Less Pain and Discomfort than the Traditional Alternatives. NOT ALL LASERS ARE CREATED EQUAL! adno=50527493 B E S T I N BEST IN H E A R I N G C A R E HEARING CARE ( 9 4 1 ) 5 0 5 0 4 0 0 (941) 505-0400 B E S T O F C H A R L O T T E B EST OF C HARLOTTE T H E L A S T 1 4 Y E A R S THE L AST 14 Y EARS Ricardo Gauthier, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology 100 Madrid Blvd., Suite #214 Punta Gorda, FL 33950 www.harboraudiology.net adno=50527489

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Page 8 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS Look for a third crossword in The News Wire section. To view todayÂs legal notices and more visit, www.oridapublicnotices.com To view todayÂs legal notices and more visit, www.oridapublicnotices.com 3000 NOTICES 3112 FICTITIOUS NAME 03/01/2018 Notice Under Fictitious Name Law Pursuant to Section 865.09, Florida Statutes NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of BUILDERS CHOICE CONSTRUCTION CLEANING located at 10205 Burnt Store Rd. #74 in the County of Charlotte in the City of Punta Gorda Florida 33950 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corpo rations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated at Punta Gorda Florida, this 21st day of February, 2018. Mary Lynn Narber Publish March 1, 2018 110833 3553561 Notice Under Fictitious Name Law Pursuant to Section 865.09, Florida Statutes NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of GARROD DRYWALL & CONSTRUCTION INC. located at 4271 James Street in the County of Charlotte in the City of Port Charlotte Florida 33980 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of S tate, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated at Port Charlotte Florida, this 27th day of February, 2018. Garrod Drywall & Constuction Inc. Publish March 1, 2018 110833 3553897 NOTICE OF INTENT TO REGISTER FICTITIOUS NAME Notice is hereby given that East Marion Avenue Church of Christ, Inc. intends to register with the Secretary of the State of Florida, as required by Section 865.09, Florida Statutes the fictitious name of Punta Gorda Church of Christ, for the purpose of doing business at 2300 Taylor Rd., Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Any inquiries concerning this intention should be directed to Sara Castro, Esquire, Farr, Farr, Emerich, Hackett, Carr and Holmes, P.A., 99 Nesbit Street, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950. Publish: March 1, 2018 114849 3553567 N ot i ce U n d er Fictitious Name Law Pursuant to Section 865.09, Florida Statutes NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of SPEED JUNKIES located at 18063 DUBLIN AVE. in the County of Charlotte in the City of Punta Gorda Florida 33948 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated at Punta Gorda Florida, this 26th day of February, 2018. Hand Made or Death Inc. Publish March 1, 2018 110833 3553796 3114 INVITATION TO BID INVITATI O N F O R BID Sealed Bids will be received by the City of Punta Gorda, Procuremen t Office, 126 Harvey St, Punta Gorda, FL, 33950 until 3:00 P.M. on March 13, 2018 for Solicitation #F2017116/MAR SEAWALLS/EOC/4 Rebid F2017109 EMERGENCY RE PLACEMENT OF SEAWALLS, LO CATED IN BURNT STORE ISLES AND THE HARBORWALK, WHICH WERE DAMAGED DURING HURRI CANE IRMA AND ANY SUBSE QUENT FEMA REIMBURSEMEN T ELIGBLE STORM EVENTS UNTIL ALL WORK IS COMPLETED. Location for the opening is City Hall A nnex, 2 nd Floor, 126 Harvey Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Solicitation information, including documents, is available on the CityÂs website at www.pgorda.com or call (941) 575-3366 In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Florida Statute 286.26 the location of meetings related to this solicitation is accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are a person with disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Interpreters for the hearing impaired (TTY 941-575-5013) or non-English speaking citizens and any other special accommodations can be requested by contacting 3114 INVITATION TO BID the Human Resources Manager/Non-Discrimination Coor dinator whose address is 326 W. Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, whose telephone number is (941) 575-3308, and whose email address is humres@pgorda.us, at least two (2) calendars days prior to the meeting. / s/ Marian Pace, CPPO, CPPB Procurement Manager Publish: March 1, 2018 102469 3554271 3119 NOTICE OF AUCTION Notice o f Public Auction 3/19/2018 8:00AM at 5136 Duncan Rd Punta Gorda FL 2004 Chevrolet 1GCEK19T44E346368 2003 Toyota 4T1BE32K23U661080 Publish: 03/01/2018 302790 3553721 3126 NOTICE OF MEETING PUBLI C N O TI C E Holiday Park, Park and Recreation District has scheduled a Regular Meeting for March 8th, 2018, at 7:00 pm at Phase 1, in the Main Hall, located at 5401 Holiday Park Blvd., North Port, FL 34287. PUBLISH: March 1, 2018 150177 3553780 3130 NOTICE OF SALE N O TI C E O F PUBLI C S ALE: CLUNE'S AUTO BODY INC. gives Notice of Foreclosure of Lien and intent to sell these vehicles on 03/13/2018, 08:00 am at 23415 JANICE AVE PT CHAR LOTTE, FL 33980-5405, pursuant to subsection 713.78 of the Florida Statutes. CLUNE'S AUTO BODY INC. reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all bids. 2FMZA50491BB40712 2001 FORD Publish: March 1, 2018 277163 3475288 NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE : A -1 TOW SERVICE LLC. gives Notice of Foreclosure of Lien and in tent to sell these vehicles on 03/15/2018, 12:00 pm at 2021 TAMIAMI TRL PUNTA GORDA, FL 33950-5919, pursuant to subsection 713.78 of the Florida Statutes. A-1 TOW SERVICE LLC. reserves the right to accept or rej ect any and/or all bids. 1FMZU32X8XUB67728 1999 FORD 1FMZU34E8XZB84107 1999 FORD 1GNCS18W02K119994 2002 CHEVROLET 1J4FX58S5TC397291 1996 JEEP 4T1BE46K67U683380 2007 TOYOTA JH2PE05357M508817 2007 Honda KNADN5A36D6196616 2013 KIA KNDJD733835096314 2003 KIA Publish: March 1, 2018 380480 3543211 Seizethesales withClassified! 3138 OTHER NOTICES DEPARTMENT O F H O MELAND SECURITY FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Proposed Flood Hazard Determinations for the City of Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida, Case No. 18-041510P. The Department of Homeland SecurityÂs Federal Emergency Management Agenc y (FEMA) solicits technical information or comments on proposed flood hazard determinations for the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and where applicable, the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report for your community. These flood hazard determinations may include the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations, base flood depths, Special Flood Haz ard Area boundaries or zone des ignations, or the regulatory floodway. The FIRM and, if appli cable, the FIS report have been re vised to reflect these flood hazard determinations through issuance of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), in accordance with Title 44, Part 65 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These determina tions are the basis for the flood plain management measures tha t your community is required to adopt or show evidence of having in effect to qualify or remain qual ified for participation in the Na tional Flood Insurance Program. For more information on the pro posed flood hazard determina tions and information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, please visit FEMAÂs website a t www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm / bfe, or call the FEMA Map Informa tion eXchange (FMIX) toll free at 1 877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627). Publish: 02/22/18, 03/01/18 380796 3548918 Steelhorse Scavenger HuntThe Patriot Riders of America Chapter One Florida is hosting a Steelhorse Scavenger Hunt, with registration at 11 a.m., on March 10. It will begin and end at the American Legion Post 110, 3152 Harbor Blvd., Port Charlotte. All proceeds raised will be going to local veterans. Vendors, band, rafÂ”es, food and prizes. Cost is $10 per rider and $5 per passenger. Meal tickets are $10 each. For more information, visit www. patriotridersofamerica. org.Buchan Airport Fly-InThe 12th annual Buchan Airport Fly-In is set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at EnglewoodÂs Buchan Airport, 1390 Old Englewood Road, Englewood. Enjoy breakfast under the tent and view vintage, experimental, homebuilt and general aviation aircraft. Watch the planes take off and land. Meet and greet aviators. Visit a variety of vendors. Entry is free. Breakfast is $6 and includes quiche, pastry, orange juice and coffee. Proceeds from the Fly-In support scholarships for Lemon Bay and Venice students For additional information, call Bill or Tina Bond at 941-478-4854.Legion Distributes PoppiesMembers of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 113, Rotonda West, will distribute poppies on from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at various locations in the Rotonda and Englewood area. The Auxiliary members will be at S tefanoÂs Family Restaurant, Gulf Coast Tru-Value, Spinnaker Caf, Country Hound Restaurant, Racetrack Gas Station-Englewood. Also participating are the local golf courses in Rotonda, The Hills, The Links, Long Marsh and The Palms. The poppy has become a symbol of honoring the dead and assisting the living victims of war.Harmony ShowcaseThe Suncoast Statesmen will present Harmony Showcase 2018 at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Francis of Assisi Church Hall, 5265 Placida Road, Englewood. The Suncoast Statesmen Harmony Choir, under the direction of Dr. Ray Danley, and the St. Francis Choir will perform. Cost is a $10 donation. Riders dinnerAMVETS Post 312 hosts a dinner on March 3 that includes T-bone steak, baked potato, salad and dessert. Pre-sale is available until today for $12. For more information, call 941-429-5403. AMVETS Post 312 is at 7050 Chancellor Blvd., North Port.Art intakeThe North Port Art Center accepts art for its ÂStyleish Garden PartyÂŽ from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 3. The centerpiece of the exhibit are garden subjects such as Â”owery pottery, glass, recycled art, decoration, sculpture or 3-D. The exhibit runs through March 30. A reception is set for March 16. The art center is at 5950 Sam Shapos Way. For more information, call 941-423-6460 between 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. NEWS BRIEFS

PAGE 9

The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 9 LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWSThe pedestrian killed in a Charlotte County crash Saturday evening has been identiÂ“ed as 66-year-old Edwin Pickrell, of North Port. Pickrell was walking in the northbound lane of Taylor Road near the intersection of Jones Loop Road just before 11 p.m. He was not wearing reÂ”ective clothing and was struck by a 2002 Cadillac driven Joyce Denice Wilson, 36, of Punta Gorda, according to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol. Pickrell was propelled onto the passenger side windshield before falling onto the grass shoulder. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Charlotte County SheriffÂs Office reported the following arrests: Â€ Erica Jeanette Johnson, 38, 15400 block of Lime Drive, Punta Gorda. Charges: possession of not more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond: $6,000. Â€ Aaron Richard Partridge, 46, of Luther Road, Punta Gorda. Charges: failure to have motor vehicle liability insurance, failure to register motor vehicle and out of county warrant. Bond: $4,000. Â€ Joshua Shane Crider, 37, 600 block of Eiffel Terrace, Port Charlotte. Charges: battery, burglary with assault or battery and possession of a harmful new legend drug without a prescription. Bond: $108,000. Â€ Kelley Elizabeth Stone, 32, 1500 block of Harbor Blvd., Port Charlotte. Charges: false ID given to law enforcement officer, delivering no more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond: $7,500. Â€ Patrick Timothy Clark, 57, 7100 block of Crock Ave., North Port. Charge: violation of condition of pretrial release. Bond: $10,000. Â€ Jojo Simon Haziza, 44, of Miami. Charges: possession of not more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond: $5,000. Â€ William Brent Edwards, 35, of Fort Myers. Charge: violation of probation. Bond: none. Â€ Alexander Salemme, 33, of Fort Myers. Charges: knowingly driving while license suspended or revoked, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of harmful new legend drug without a prescription. Bond: $9,000. Â€ David Eldon Dodd, 56, of Bradenton. Charges: failure to appear and two underlying charges. Bond: none. Â€ Kitty Marie Collins, 35, 5400 block of Swaying Palm Drive, Punta Gorda. Charge: battery. Bond: $2,000. Â€ Kenneth Gene Stevens, 54, of Nottingham, Pennsylvania. Charge: battery. Bond: $2,500. Â€ Carlos Alberto Pena, 42, 3000 block of Wyola Ave., North Port. Charge: DUI with serious bodily injury to another. Bond: $6,500. Â€ Sherie Lee MacLeod, 47, 7000 block of Mineola Road, Englewood. Charge: municipal ordinance violation. Bond: none. The Sarasota County SheriffÂs Office reported the following arrests: Â€ Paul Fields, 27, 1200 block of Impala Road, North Port. Charge: Manatee County issued warrant for violation of pre-trial release for domestic violence. Bond: none. Â€ Santiago Fragoso, 44, 21900 block of Cellini Ave., Port Charlotte. Charge: trespassing. Bond: $120. Â€ Thomas Nestor Jr., 32, 400 block of Bayside Lane, Nokomis. Charge: carrying an unlicensed concealed weapon. Bond: $500. Â€ Patrick Steiner, 25, 8600 block of Bumford Ave., North Port. Charge: probation violation (original charge: possession of a controlled substance without a prescription). Bond: none. Â€ Matthew Turner, 42, 1300 block of Jupiter Road, Venice. Charge: probation violation (original charges: driving with a suspended license and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription). Bond: none. The North Port Police Department reported the following arrest: Â€ John Mattos, 51, 2700 block of Maximo Road, North Port. Charges: hit and run and DUI and property damage. Bond: $620. Â„ Compiled by Lauren Coffey and Anne Easker POLICE BEATThe information for Police Beat is gathered from police, sheriffÂs office, Florida Highway Patrol, jail and fire records. Not every arrest leads to a conviction and guilt or innocence is determined by the court system.Pedestrian identified in fatal crash ConversationsA conversation group meets Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the North Port Library in the Juliano Room, 13800 Tamiami Trail. The group discusses world and local events and news. It also discusses also discuss sports, movies or books. It is moderated by Pat Petersmark of ÂChat with PatÂŽ heard Thursdays at 11 a.m. on WKDW97.5FM, KDWradio.com. For more information, call Pat Petersmark at 941-888-2810.Racial Monologues to be performedRacial Monologues, original stories written by local people about their encounters with people of a different race and/or their personal encounters with racism, will be performed at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 5, at the Mid-County Regional Library, 2050 Forrest Nelson Blvd., Port Charlotte. Sponsored by the Racial Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Charlotte County, this event is open to the public. Information: Kay Azar, kayazar01@gmail.com.Car showThe next San Pedro Quarterly Car Show is set for Saturday, March 3, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. It is open to all makes, models and years. It costs a donation of $10 for preregistered vehicles and $15 for registration on March 3. It will include a PastorÂs Choice Trophy and 20 JudgeÂs Choice trophies. It is free to the public for viewing and include music, a 50-50 drawing and food available for purchase. It will take place in conjunction with the San Pedro Community Festival during that weekend. For more information, call Steve at 941-423-6690.ÂOrchids by Lemon BayÂThe Englewood Area Orchid Society presents ÂOrchids by Lemon Bay,ÂŽ a show and sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 2-3, in the Fellowship Hall of Englewood United Methodist Church, 700 E. Dearborn St. There will be more than 9,000 square feet of sale and exhibit space, which include retail orchids and supples, artwork, books, raffles, free information and professional advice. Admission is $4. For more information, visit www.EAOS.org. COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFSNORTH PORT Â„ The outdoors took the top spot at the latest City Commission meeting. The North Port commissioners met Tuesday night for their meeting which included discussing a tree ordinance, an environmental advisory board and lighting for the Butler Park fields. All the commissioners were present except for Mayor Vanessa Carusone, who had a family emergency. The Environmental Advisory Board is one of a few boards the commission is working to create in order to better serve the community. After some language changes, the commissioners unanimously approved the board. Members on the board would present their ideas centering around preserving and protecting the environment, clean air and water quality and wildlife and habitat protection to the commission. Commissioners also focused in on one of the local outdoor spots: field three at Butler Park. The commissioners unanimously approved purchasing lights for the field, which is used by the North Port Huskies football team and adult Fusion soccer. It costs $205,000. ÂThere is the utilization, so itÂs always important to know when we make these capital investments, we need a showing of utilization so weÂre not putting money in to something we just think weÂre going to use,ÂŽ Vice Mayor Linda Yates said. ÂWhen we see it growing in the community, then we can accommodate.ÂŽ The commissioners will also go beyond the community and address their priorities with state legislators soon. The group whittled down its list to include a slew of new and previously discussed items, including the widening of Price Boulevard and River Road, promote legislation and funding for the opioids crisis, school safety and homelessness, and supporting funding to grants and other programs available to municipalities, including health care services. The next City Commission regular meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6.Email: lcoffey@sun-herald.com North Port commissioners address environmentBy LAUREN COFFEY STAFF WRITER By Adrienne McKinney Senior Health Editor Imagine turning back the clock on your achy joints and muscles. Returning to the days before pain and discomfort kept you from doing the little things you used to take for granted. Things like working in your garden, playing with your grandkids and even a good nightÂs sleep. Well, your days of living pill-to-pill could be over. An allnatural supplement by Optimum Life Labs called Joint Nirvana is now available in Florida and people are calling it ÂtheÂŽ joint and muscle pain ÂvaccineÂŽ Big Pharma doesnÂt want you to know about. ÂIÂve tried every pain pill the doctor has ever prescribed me and Joint Nirvana is the only thing thatÂs made the pain stop,ÂŽ said Alberta, Canada resident Astrid Hansen whoÂs been taking it daily for just 4 months.It Finds All Your Aches And PainsThe secret behind the success of this little pill is in the way it ÂautomaticallyÂŽ nds your achy joints and muscles. ItÂs almost like it has a road map of your entire body and knows exactly where to go to deliver the most relief. ÂJoint Nirvana is a special pill,ÂŽ said Dr. Georgia Rodriguez, director of research at Optimum Life Labs. ÂIt nds the in ammation thatÂs causing all your misery and delivers millions of tiny little building blocks. They put out the re and rebuild the damage youÂve done to your joints over decades of daily wear-andtear.ÂŽDecades Of Medical ResearchJoint Nirvana is based on the medical research conducted by Albuquerque orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lloyd Hurley over 20 years ago. In Dr. HurleyÂs groundbreaking one-year study, over 100 arthritis patients reported that their joint and muscle pain had almost disappeared after just a few weeks of taking a little-known sea mussel in supplement form. But the amazing results of Dr. HurleyÂs study didnÂt end there.Cartilage Damage ReversedFollow up x-rays of these same patients showed that the damage caused by arthritis did not get worse while they took the sea mussel supplement daily. In fact, the complete opposite happened. The x-rays Dr. Hurley took proved without a doubt that some of his patients were able to re-grow cartilage. A thing other doctors had told them was completely out of the question. ÂArthritis is considered incurable, the wear-and-tear of aging,ÂŽ said Dr. Hurley, Âbut evidence shows it can be reversed.ÂŽDrug Companies DonÂt Want You To KnowDr. HurleyÂs research does show arthritis can be stopped and reversed without the need of brutal and expensive surgeries that require months of painful rehab. ÂBig Pharma and Big Medicine has known about Dr. HurleyÂs research for decades, itÂs not a secret, but they turn a blind eye to it,ÂŽ said Victor Urbina, CEO of Optimum Life Labs. ÂLetÂs face it, thereÂs too much money at risk for them to admit something like this could work. ÂWe took the medical knowledge Dr. Hurley accumulated over his 40-year career where he helped thousands of arthritis patients and put it in an easy-to-swallow pill,ÂŽ continued Urbina. ÂEvery week we hear a new story of one of our customers nding real relief for the rst time. ThatÂs something Big Pharma and Big Medicine canÂt ignore.ÂŽFully GuaranteedPeople who suffer debilitating joint and muscle pain want one thing, to nd relief. But most of them have resigned themselves to simply nding a way to manage the pain they currently have and hope it doesnÂt get worse. Joint Nirvana was formulated with its active sea mussel ingredient to do more than just mask and numb your pain the way over-the-counter and prescription pain pills do. Optimum Life Labs guarantees that it could give you real results if you give the millions of tiny building blocks it delivers time to rebuild your crumbling joints. ÂWe stand behind Joint Nirvana 1000%,ÂŽ said Urbina. ÂWe know it works. HereÂs why. ÂAn 83-year-old customer of ours suffered from brutal muscle pain caused by spina bi da her whole life. She started taking Joint Nirvana and the pain completely disappeared. She called begging us to never stop making it.ÂŽ But how can Optimum Life Labs guarantee it could work for you? They say itÂs all in the research.Controlled Study Proves It, Doctor AgreesThe sea mussel Dr. Hurley tapped into and that Joint Nirvana uses has a long scienti c research history and an even longer history of real world use. A 1983 study by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia showed that in controlled tests it safely reduced almost all pain and in ammation. NSAIDs and aspirin only reduced it by half or less. ÂThe sea mussel is totally safe. It protects your stomach. ItÂs nothing like NSAIDs and aspirin that destroy it,ÂŽ said Dr. Georges M. Halpern. In the real world, the Maori tribes who live on the coasts of New Zealand have been eating the sea mussel as a regular part of their diet for centuries. When scientists from around the world studied the Maori they discovered that they had a much lower rate of arthritis than their New Zealand neighbors. They lived pain-free to a ripe old age. But why? The difference was in what they ate: the little sea mussel that Dr. Hurley prescribed his arthritic patients and that Optimum Life Labs has bottled in Joint Nirvana.Risk-Free TrialThrough a special arrangement with Optimum Life Labs, they have agreed to send you up to 5 free bottles of Joint Nirvana with your order. As a bonus, theyÂre also offering you a Âreaders onlyÂŽ discount. This limited trial is 100% risk-free. If Joint Nirvana doesnÂt help you enjoy the activities you used to love without pain you wonÂt pay a penny! (Except S&H) YouÂre covered by their 100% pain-relief guarantee for an entire year. So the only thing you have to lose is your pain. If youÂre still not convinced that Joint Nirvana could work for you, hereÂs what real people who have tried it are saying.I Feel Better For First Time In 63 YearsÂI got 24 different things wrong with me, Joint Nirvana is whatÂs made me feel better for the rst time in 63 years.ÂŽ -Simone Phillips, Hampton, NHI Sleep Better At NightÂIÂve been sleeping better at night since I started taking Joint Nirvana, thank you!ÂŽ -Daniel Rachelle, Pensacola, FLMy Knees No Longer HurtÂIÂve had my right knee and left shoulder replaced. Joint Nirvana is helping me avoid getting my left knee replaced too, IÂm con dent itÂs working.ÂŽ -Charlie Wilkes, Denver, COIÂll Never Be Without It AgainÂWhen I was born the doctors told my parents I wouldnÂt live one year. IÂve lived in pain my whole life. Joint Nirvana is the only thing thatÂs made the pain stop and IÂve tried everything!ÂŽ Astrid Hansen, Alberta, CanadaYouÂre A Ticking Time BombResearch shows youÂre a ticking time bomb. 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Page 10 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWSNORTH PORT Â„ Trees continue to grow throughout North Port but, for now, city commissioners are still working on the ramifications if someone were to try and cut down the natural amenities. The commissioners met on Tuesday night and discussed with staffers some small tweaks in the Tree Ordinance, which is found in the Unified Land Development Code. The code will eventually undergo an entire rewrite, but commissioners wanted to move forward on the trees. ÂThereÂs so much stuff we want to look at, we canÂt just wait another year for the rewrite,ÂŽ Commissioner Chris Hanks said. Commissioners and staff originally met in May 2017 for a workshop, which brought in-depth discussion and requests for changes. However, the two groups had a miscommunication and staff assumed the changes would happen during the overall rewrite. ÂI hope that all of you understand itÂs always my intent to meet the desire and direction of what the commission has come out with,ÂŽ Neighborhood Development Services Director Scott Williams said. ÂIÂll take the hit on that. In the consensus we got where we talked about minor changes, now IÂm understanding, with the number of consensus, itÂs not a minor change... it still is the intent to have these workshops and if there is minor changes we can submit, weÂd be more than happy to do that.ÂŽ Now, commissioners are trying to get it back on track. ÂIÂm glad I could put it back on the agenda,ÂŽ Commissioner Debbie McDowell said, Âso we could get the air cleared and the wheels back in motion.ÂŽ The city manager will schedule a public meeting to get residentsÂ feedback on the tree ordinance, which includes the fees for cutting trees down and how much land should be covered in trees. The commissioners preferred two public meetings be held, one in the morning and another at night, to give all residents a chance to attend. ÂI think the reason we started off looking at the code ... I think we need to proceed (with) having the workshop as directed by the public, particularly on this tree ordinance,ÂŽ Vice Mayor Linda Yates said. ÂBecause citizens have real concerns on it and, as it was identified, there were conflicts (with the tree code and other codes in the ULDC).ÂŽ After the public meetings, staff and commission will reconvene to review what was said and again discuss their goals. The public meetings and subsequent commission workshop have not been scheduled yet, but the city manager was directed to do so as soon as possible.Email: lcoey@sun-herald.com Commissioners inch forward on tree rulesBy LAUREN COFFEY STAFF WRITER SUN PHOTO BY GARY ROBERTSSeveral pine trees dot the U.S. 41 median, north of Port Charlotte Boulevard.SARASOTA Â„ In response to the recent walkout organized by high school students across the state, the Sarasota County School District will take part in a student walk out March 14. In a news release from the district, the walkouts planned by students in conjunction with #NationalSchoolWalkout march, will be guided by teachers and staff. The marches across the state and country are being organized in response to the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland which left 17 dead and more than a dozen others injured. According to the district, ofÂ“cials want students to feel empowered and also allow staff to honor friends and colleagues affected by the shooting on Feb. 14. High school students will walk out at 10 a.m. on March 14 for 17 minutes, to honor the 17 lives lost. In the news release, Superintendent Todd Bowden said the district acknowledges many of the students and district employees want to pay tribute to those affected by the shooting in Parkland. Bowden said he knows students will plan thoughtful events during the 17 minutes of observation to remember the fallen and those in education affected by the tragedy. According to the district, another walkout, March for Your Lives, is scheduled for March 24 Â„ during spring break. There will be no planned observance for that walk. In EnglewoodLemon Bay High School principal Bob Bedford said he asked student leaders to tell him their plan for the March 14 walk out. ÂAll of the planning is being done by the students,ÂŽ Bedford said adding he would like the walk out to be organized on campus at either in the courtyard, football Â“eld or the gym. ÂIÂm proud of the initiative these students are taking and IÂm sure they will do a really good job.ÂŽ Community News Editor Elaine AllenEmrich contributed to this article.Email: aherrera@sun-herald.comSarasota County OKs student walkouts By ALEXANDRA HERRERA STAFF WRITER We cannot guarantee when this oer will be repeated in the newspaper. Clip this oer and please call today!>> Choose from 4 beneÂ“t levels up to $ 25,000 >> Rates Âlock-inÂŽ at the age you enroll never go up again! >> Call for your FREE all-by-mail enrollment packet! >> Call TOLL-FREE 1-844-505-5197Or enroll online at www.UnitedOmahaDirect.comNow, from United of Omaha Life Insurance Company and Companion Life Insurance Company...This is a solicitation of insurance, an agent (In OR & WA: producer) may contact you. 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The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 11 LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS Accolades abounded for Ret. U.S. Navy Captain Roger E. Tetrault as he was recently inducted as the 10th member of the Military Heritage MuseumÂs Wall of Warriors in Punta Gorda. Praise for his military career and community involvement came from all quarters during a dinner at Twin Isles Country Club. But it was the honoree himself who riveted the audience with his personal story of life Â„ and near death Â„ in combat, and Âhow astonishingly lucky I have been.ÂŽ Sean OÂKeefe, former Secretary of the Navy and NASA Administrator, who is honorary chair of the museum, said he was proud to help celebrate ÂRogerÂs service to the military and the community.ÂŽ He said when Tetrault worked with him at NASA, he was Âan extraordinary source of insight and engagementÂŽ in working on projects relating to the International Space Station, the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and extending the life of the Hubble Telescope. He brought that same Âremarkable testimonyÂŽ to his naval combat career, Âwhere he never, ever, forgot where he was from.ÂŽ ItÂs the same case here in the community, OÂKeefe said, where he has become Âan amazing activist,ÂŽ resulting in his founding, with his wife, Linda, the Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Garden east of Punta Gorda. Museum President Marilyn Smith-Mooney recounted her association with the Tetraults, citing Roger as a person Âwho just doesnÂt quit,ÂŽ adding, ÂI canÂt think of anyone who has touched my life more than Roger and his wife.ÂŽ Charlotte County Commissioner Chris Constance was on hand to read the boardÂs proclamation citing Feb. 23 as Captain Roger Tetrault Day in the county, as was Gary Wein, Punta Gorda vice mayor, with a similar proclamation from City Council. Then it was RogerÂs turn at the mic. ÂI am a warrior,ÂŽ he said. ÂI was trained as a warrior to Â“ght our nationÂs battles, and I am proud to be included on the museumÂs Wall of Warriors.ÂŽ But, he said, he had a story Âto tell you of how astonishing lucky I have been, and about the lives of my family, and my friends who became warriors of this nation with me.ÂŽ Roger recounted his youth in Hartford, Connecticut, as one of six boys, second-generation French-Canadian Americans in a family Âwith never a dollar to spare.ÂŽ Today, he said, they have college and masterÂs degrees, adding, ÂI seriously doubt that this result would have occurred if we had been born in any other country except America. ÂTo me, our freedoms here and the ability to be the best we can be are truly worth Â“ghting for.ÂŽ Roger was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy in 1959, part of the class of 1963. Fourteen of his classmates died in combat in Vietnam. Fourteen others died in the line of duty, including the loss of submarines Thresher and Scorpion. Two classmates were long-term prisoners of war. ÂTo me,ÂŽ he said, Âmy own personal achievements will always pale by comparison to the many acts of bravery and unique sacriÂ“ces that were made by my close friends and classmates.ÂŽ In 1966, as a Navy pilot, Roger crashed an A-1 Attack aircraft off the bow of the USS Midway, almost drowned and was rescued by a diver from a helicopter, Âyet, here I am today.ÂŽ He was OfÂ“cer of the Deck on the USS Turner Joy off the coast of North Vietnam. The ship took a direct hit, penetrating the afterdeck and exploding below. If the enemy round had hit the shipÂs ammunition magazine Â„ it missed it by a few feet Â„ the ship would have been lost. ÂNow,ÂŽ Roger said, ÂIÂm part of that aging cohort of Vietnam veterans. I live with a pacemaker, a metal hip, have had a recent stroke and even a few TIAÂsÂŽ. But, he said, ÂI am very grateful to have lived a life where I have been a very small link in a great blue Navy chain. Wars always leave scars on those that serve, and on the families of those who donÂt come home. Freedom truly isnÂt free.ÂŽ The Military Heritage Museum, the popular historic depository of veteransÂ memorabilia, presently is quartered at FishermenÂs Village of West Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda. It is planning to move shortly to a new site, as yet undisclosed. Wall of Warriors inducts Capt. Roger TetraultBy BILL JONESSUN CORRESPONDENT SUN PHOTOS BY BILL JONES Military Heritage Museum board members Fred Buck ingham, left, and Gene Geronime, present Capt. Roger Tetrault, center, with his Wall of Warriors plaque at a dinner Friday at Twin Isles Country Club. U.S. Navy Ret. Roger Tetrault addresses the Wall of Warriors dinner in his honor at Twin Isles Country Club. Former Secretary of the Navy Sean OÂKeefe speaks in honor of Capt. Roger Tetrault at a Wall of Warriors dinner at Twin Isles Country Club. adno=717514 Where Shopping Makes Cents charlottecountychamber.org adno=50531117 adno=50531115 A Howard Alan EventArtFestival.com(561) 746-6615 or (941) 484-6722 17TH ANNUAL W Venice Ave in Venice, FL An Outdoor Art ShowMarch 3rd Â… 4th Sat./Sun. 10am Â… 5pmFree Admission A n O u t d d oo r A A r t S h h o w D O W N T O O O W N V E N I C E adno=54529737 adno=50531511 BURNT STORE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHTHANK GOD ITÂS VARIETY PRESENTSÂƒTHE WOODSMEN QUARTET The Woodsmen Quartet is a Southern Gospel Group based in Batesville, IN. The Woodsmen have been traveling for 10 years spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Friday, March 2, 20187:00PM (doors open at 6:15) Free (love o ering will be taken) Open seating (no tickets required) Take this opportunity to invite a friend or neighbor to this wonderful event.BURNT STORE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 11330 Burnt Store Road Punta Gorda, FL 33955-1402 phone: 941.639.0001 www.bspconline.org o ce@bspconline.orgÂhave shared the platform with the best of gospel musicÂŽ Âtheir ministry has touched many livesÂŽ

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Page 12 www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 LOCAL SPORTS LOCAL SPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL: Cape Coral 59, Lemon Bay 49ENGLEWOOD Â„ Time and time again this season, Lemon Bay boys basketball deÂ“ed the odds and expectations. Starting with a 77-59 win over Monsignor Pace on Jan. 13, the then-7-6 Manta Rays would go on to win 13 of 14 games including winning a District Championship as a four seed over Cape Coral. But all good things must come to an end. Tuesday night, Lemon Bay fell apart in the fourth quarter as Cape Coral seized control of the game and held on for dear life in a 59-49 7A Regional semiÂ“nal win for the Seahawks in front of a near-packed house at Lemon Bay High School. ÂCoach Catanzarite looked at me after his Â“nal district game and said, ÂThis is going to be yours,ÂÂŽ Lemon Bay coach Sean Huber said about taking over as head coach seven years ago. ÂRight then, the immense pressure of Â“lling his shoes was on pretty fast. So I told myself if I were to Â“ll his shoes, IÂd have to have a plan and surround myself with people who believe in that plan and donÂt waver or stray off course. ÂIt was always my dream to take this group to the level that IÂd been at with coach Catanzarite, and I hope I made him proud.ÂŽ Led by a squad of seven seniors that Huber has coached and mentored since middle school, the Manta Rays hardly had a dry eye to spare by the time they emerged from the locker room after TuesdayÂs season-ending defeat. After Cape Coral jumped out to a 34-27 halftime lead thanks in large part to three 3-pointers in the second quarter, the Manta Rays rallied back to take a 43-41 lead into the fourth quarter. However, once Michael Reid matched a Malik Kaba 3-pointer in the Â“rst 45 seconds of the fourth quarter, the Lemon Bay offense went stagnant. The Manta Rays couldnÂt score for the ensuing seven minutes as leading scorer Tyler Caron was temporarily forced to the bench with foul trouble. That 3-pointer by Reid would be the Manta RaysÂ Â“nal basket, as the only other points Lemon Bay scored were three free-throws by Keegan Wyman in the Â“nal minute. ÂThe biggest thing is just defending their big men,ÂŽ Cape Coral coach Brandon Sensor said. ÂEverything goes through their big men, which is great for them, but itÂs very hard to defend. We can match up with them, but I mean those guys are tough. ÂThen when (Caron) was out of the game, heÂs one of their best players. I think there were three or four minutes left and we were up by four, so I thought letÂs just keep him out as long as we can. So we just stalled, and they started fouling and we made our free throws.ÂŽ Seahawks leading scorer Harwin Francois made 6 of 8 free throws down the stretch as he helped Cape Coral stay in control of the lead. Together with center Bryan Markovich, the two big men combined for nine rebounds in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Seahawks to control the pace until the Â“nal whistle. Though Lemon BayÂs historic run comes to a close with a loss on its home court in front of the biggest crowd of the season, Huber said he thinks his team left a mark on their community for years to come. ÂThe expectations were always high, but now thereÂs the belief that if you do things right, and you train hard and you resist all the temptations of being a teenage kid in this world, you can achieve great things,ÂŽ Huber said of his teamÂs success in 2018. ÂThere were people here tonight that I havenÂt seen in 20 years. And that just speaks to where we are now as a program. I canÂt thank the fans enough. I was getting phone calls today from people asking if the game was sold out and where they could get tickets. The immense gravity of it all will sink in over the next coming days.ÂŽEmail: vportell@sun-herald.comCAPE CORAL 59, LEMON BAY 49Cape Coral 15 19 7 18 Â„ 59 Lemon Bay 16 11 16 6 Â„ 49 Cape Coral (59): Harwin Francois 13, Jonnathan Moreno 12, James Gibson 11, Kitchner Masson 11, Markovich 9, Kaba 3. Totals: 20(6) 13-19 59. Lemon Bay (49): Tyler Caron 15, Keegan Wyman 14, Reid 9, Wol 7, Morrill 2, Huber 2. Totals: 19(3) 8-9 49.MantasÂ run ends with regional semifinals loss By VINNIE PORTELLSPORTS WRITER Senior point guard Cade Huber directs the Manta RaysÂ oense. PHOTOS BY TIM KERNKeegan Wyman gets free for a layup to get the Mantas on the board rst against Cape Coral. BOYS BASKETBALL: Riverdale 56, North Port 55NORTH PORT Â„ In the fourth battle between North Port and Riverdale High this season, the Raiders had just enough to edge the Bobcats, 5655, in a Class 8A-Region 3 semiÂ“nal Tuesday night. In a back-and-forth contest, the Raiders made the plays down the stretch to end North PortÂs season one game short of the regional Â“nals. At the end, the Bobcats had a chance to send the game to overtime when Ben Via was fouled attempting a tying three-point shot with 2 seconds left. But Via missed the Â“rst of three free throws, then made the Â“nal two, leaving North Port one point short. North Port beat Riverdale for the district title ten days ago, and with leading scorer Bryan OÂBoyle returning to the lineup for the Â“rst time in four weeks appeared to have the momentum at the start of the fourth quarter. The Bobcats had a 46-41 lead early in the period, only to see the Raiders tie it up at 46-46 with 4:09 to go. ÂWe were in the position we wanted to be in,ÂŽ North Port coach Ryan Power said. ÂWith two minutes to go we were up by one and I felt we had two poor possessions. We had a quick jump shot and a turnover. They were able to capitalize on it, which was actually the opposite of how it happened last time. We got a couple of stops and got some easy baskets to take the lead, and they did a real good job of Â“nishing at the free throw line to put us away.ÂŽ RiverdaleÂs Joseph Ojeda made two foul shots to give the Raiders a 54-49 lead with 46 seconds to play. North PortÂs Ben Via was fouled with 29 seconds to go and made one free throw to close the gap to 54-50. The Bobcats then forced a turnover, and OÂBoyle nailed a three-pointer to make it 54-53 with 13.9 seconds remaining. Jacob Tracey was fouled and made both shots to give the Raiders a 56-53 lead with 12.7 seconds to play. North Port brought the ball down court and Via was fouled while attempting the tying three-point shot with 2 seconds left. Via missed the Â“rst of three free throws, but made the last two to cut the deÂ“cit to 56-55. Then Tracey was fouled again on the inbounds play with 1 second to go and missed the foul shot, but North Port couldnÂt get a Â“nal shot off as time ran out on the Bobcats season. Via led the Bobcats with 21 points, while OÂBoyle added 11. ÂI was nervous putting Bryan out there,ÂŽ Power said. ÂI didnÂt know if he was going to be tentative thinking about his ankle of he was going to completely not think about it. And he went out there and I think he got lost in the moment of the game and didnÂt even think about it. He gave us every ounce that he had. That kid had a great career at this school and will be remembered as one of the best players in North Port history.ÂŽ Jacob Tracey led Riverdale with 20 points and Jadrien Tracey had 11 for the Raiders. North Port Â“nished its year with a 19-9 record.RIVERDALE 56, NORTH PORT 55Riverdale 8 18 13 17 56 North Port 14 12 15 14 55 Riverdale (56): Jacob Tracey 20, Jadrien Tracey 11, Joseph Ojeda. 10, Smith 4, Palmquist 4, Alexander 4, Rowe 2. Totals: 22(3), 9-13, 56. North Port (55): Ben Via 21, Bryan OÂBoyle 11, Dismukes 8, Gra 7, Cohen 6, Iriberren 2. Totals: 21(6), 7-14, 55.North Port falls short in semifinal By BRUCE ROBINSSUN CORRESPONDENT SUN PHOTO BY JOHN KERSTENNorth PortÂs Bryan OÂBoyle shoots a three pointer over RiverdaleÂs Nelson Smith on Tuesday night in North Port. SOFTBALL: Estero 5, Charlotte 1PUNTA GORDA Â„ You know the softball pitcher youÂre about to face is good when sheÂs a sophomore and is already committed to play for the University of Alabama. ThatÂs exactly what the Charlotte High School softball team faced Tuesday when Estero came to town, and she was every bit as good as advertised. Alex Salter pitched a three-hitter and struck out 12 as Estero handed Charlotte its Â“rst loss of the season by a score of 5-1 in a non-district contest. One night after Port Charlotte gave the Tarpons a real scare, Salter was a nightmare in pitching her ÂAÂŽ game. She walked three, but two of CharlotteÂs three hits were of the bunt variety and allowed one unearned run. Charlotte (6-1) knew it had to be perfect to beat Estero, but three errors wasnÂt going to get it donw, with two of them resulting in at least three runs for the Wildcats. Estero (5-1) opened the scoring in the third with back-to-back two-out doubles off CharlotteÂs Laci Hendrickson by Katie Monzen and Riley Ennis, the latter giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Estero added three in the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles from Lauren Hobbs and Monzen, and a botched rundown between third and home that made it 4-0 Estero. Charlotte got on the board in the fourth on a Savannah Jacobs bunt single, stolen base and a wild throw to third on a wild pitch that allowed her to score to make it 4-1. The momentum was short-lived as a leadoff error resulted in an RBI single by Paige Carroll to give Estero a 5-1 lead. Salter cruised to the point her outÂ“eld could almost take a night off as only three balls went there all evening, one of which was an Abby Hayse double, the only solid hit all night for the Tarpons. Charlotte coach Greg Higgins said he was glad he faced a pitcher like Salter, and glad the girls showed up and had some success against her. ÂI told the girls it was a 2-1 ballgame if not for the throwaway on the rundown, but we had three hits off her, which is better than Fort Myers, and we had a chance to get a couple more,ÂŽ Higgins said. ÂThe girls showed up. I wanted them to show up against this team against one of the best pitchers in the country.ÂŽ ESTERO 5, CHARLOTTE 1Estero 001 310 0 Â… 5 10 1 Charlotte 000 100 0 Â… 1 3 3 Alex Salter and Carly Campbell, Laci Hendrickson, Dylan Anthony (6) and Paige Thompson, Taylor Kirkus (6). WP: Salter (2-0) LP: Hendrickson (3-1). Top hitters: Katie Monzen (E) 2-4, 2B, run, RBI, Lauren Hobbs (E) 2-4, run, RBI. Records: Estero 5-1, Charlotte 6-1.Salter, Estero hand Charlotte first lossBy CHUCK BALLAROSUN CORRESPONDENT SUN PHOTO BY JENNIFER BRUNO CharlotteÂs Savannah Jones steals second base before Estero can tag her out, during the Tarpons home game on Tuesday.

PAGE 13

The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 13 STATE NEWS A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that Florida voters overwhelmingly support restoring the voting rights of convicted felons, an issue that will be on the November ballot. The survey shows that 67 percent favor the idea and 27 percent oppose it. The statewide poll was conducted Feb. 23-26 and has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points. ÂEvery single party, gender, education, age and racial group supports this idea,ÂŽ Quinnipiac said in a release. In another sign of widespread support for the issue, nearly all voters have already made up their minds, more than eight months before the election. Only 6 percent of voters surveyed said they didnÂt know or had no opinion about the issue. Here is how Quinnipiac framed the question in its poll: ÂDo you support or oppose restoring voting rights to individuals who have committed a felony other than murder or sexual offense and completed their sentences?ÂŽ The restoration of felonsÂ voting rights will appear as Amendment 4 on the general election ballot. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee recently struck down FloridaÂs vote restoration system as unconstitutional. Gov. Rick Scott and the three elected Cabinet members, all of whom are Republicans, changed the system, known as executive clemency, in 2011 to require all convicted felons to wait at least Â“ve years after completing their sentences before they can apply for the restoration of their rights. In a recent court Â“ling, the four ofÂ“cials said they should be able to revise the restoration system without any further direction from the courts. The next Cabinet meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, March 7. The meeting agenda does not include any scheduled discussion of the issue. About 6 million people in the U.S. have been permanently stripped of their voting rights because of a felony conviction. About 1.5 million of them, or one-fourth of the total, are in Florida.Poll: Floridians strongly support voting rights for felonsBy STEVE BOUSQUETTIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO | HEADLINE NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATEMan killed when his motorcycle was hit by garbage truckLAKELAND (AP) Â„ Police say a Florida man was killed when a county Waste and Recycling truck rear-ended his motorcycle. Lakeland police spokesman Sgt. Gary Gross tells news outlets that Michael L. Dimezza was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The 53-year-old was rear-ended by the Polk County Waste and Recycling truck Tuesday. Police say Dimezza stopped his motorcycle for a trafÂ“c light at an intersection. The garbage truck struck the back of the motorcycle, causing DimezzaÂs ejection. Dimezza was not wearing a helmet. The driver of the garbage truck wasnÂt injured, and no charges have been Â“led Tuesday. That person doesnÂt work for the county, but for FCC Environmental Services. FCCÂs Central Florida regional manager Charles Merkley says the company is conducting an internal investigation of the accident.University building evacuated after powder throwing ÂstuntÂORLANDO (AP) Â„ A building at the University of Central Florida in Orlando has been evacuated after campus police say someone wearing a LeBron James Miami Heat basketball jersey stood up in a classroom and threw powder in the air. University police said in a statement posted Wednesday on Twitter that the Business Administration building was evacuated Âout of an abundance of caution.ÂŽ In a video posted on Twitter, Police Chief Richard Beary said it appeared to be a stunt but they had to treat it as an emergency. Students are being asked to avoid the area. James, who now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, sometimes tosses chalk in the air in a pregame ritual. Police said theyÂre seeking a second person who was seen carrying two backpacks.Authorities: Man sets fire to several churches in FloridaSEMINOLE (AP) Â„ Authorities say a man whoÂs responsible for starting Â“res at several Florida churches has been arrested. A Pinellas County SheriffÂs OfÂ“ce news release says 33-year-old Brody Allen Seiger was arrested on two counts of Â“rst-degree arson Tuesday. According to detectives, Seiger broke a window at the Universal Harmony Church in Seminole on Feb. 3. Authorities say he lit a doormat on Â“re and pushed it through the broken window of the church. Authorities say he broke a window at the Seminole United Methodist Church, poured gasoline through the window and ignited the gasoline. The churches were unoccupied at the time, and the Â“re caused minor damage. Detectives say Seiger admitted to setting the church Â“res and claimed he did it Âfor God.ÂŽ ItÂs unclear if Seiger has a lawyer.Woman charged with shooting dog during argument with fiancTARPON SPRINGS (AP) Â„ Authorities say a Florida woman fatally shot her and her Â“ancÂs dog during an argument. The Tampa Bay Times reports that 27-year-old Giselle Taylor was arrested last week and charged with animal cruelty. Tarpon Springs police say Taylor got angry at her Â“anc because he wouldnÂt crack her back. An arrest report says she grabbed a 9mm handgun from the garage and loaded it. The report says Taylor told ofÂ“cers she intended to scare her Â“anc, but when she didnÂt get the response she wanted, she pointed the gun at their 2-year-old boxer and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the dogÂs upper torso, killing it. Police say Taylor left the house but was arrested a short time later. Taylor is free on $5,000 bail. Jail records didnÂt list an attorney.Man pleads guilty to threatening to burn Muslim homeTAMPA (AP) Â„ A Florida man has pleaded guilty to threatening to burn down a Muslim familyÂs new home. A U.S. Department of Justice news release says 59-year-old David Howard pleaded guilty in Tampa federal court Tuesday to threatening, intimidating and interfering with housing rights. He faces up to 10 years in prison. Court documents say a Muslim man and his wife were conducting the Â“nal walk-through of a Tampa home they had placed under contract in November 2016 when Howard approached the couple, the seller and their real estate agents. Howard reportedly told the couple they werenÂt welcome and threatened to burn down the house. The Muslim couple left and cancelled the closing of the home purchase that was scheduled to take place the next day. Bald eagle dies after flying into power linesMARCO ISLAND (AP) Â„ Wildlife ofÂ“cials say a bald eagle died after Â”ying into power lines in Florida. The Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary posted on its Facebook page Tuesday that an adult male named Paleo died Sunday evening. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was contacted to remove the body. The preserveÂs female eagle, Calusa, has been seen in and out of the nest feeding her two eaglets. The eaglets are close to Â”edging, and ofÂ“cials say theyÂll monitor all three eagles closely in the coming weeks. adno=54529090

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Page 14 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 LOCAL/REGIONAL NEWS The members of the South Gulf Cove Yacht Club held their 10th annual Night at the Races recently in the SGC community center. Once again, there was a sellout crowd, with a couple different entries including a Â“eld of manatees, a Â“eld of Â”amingos and a Â“eld of Hawaiian Hooters. Many of the clubÂs jockeys dress to impress, with several going to the extreme. Each jockey is assigned a lane number, and audience members toss 10 dice in a container. When the jockey number assigned is tossed, you move one space for each time your number is rolled. Throughout the evening their are many antics that unexpectedly happen. In the past, stable boys have had to clean up messes that horses leave on the track, horses have become injured or ill, and this year with the Â”u so prevalent, many horses were given shots before the races. ItÂs a great evening of fun watching 48 different jockeys perform. For more in-formation on the SGC Yacht Club, please visit www.sgcyc.com.South Gulf Cove Yacht Club races are Âhot to trotÂ PHOTOS PROVIDEDA group of manatees line up at the start of their race. This heat includes, from left, Stan Judd, Maurice Price, Bill Boyle, Jo e Cooper and Charlie Kueck. Zebra Man Bill Boyle was the winner. The horse owners and trainers were concerned about the jockeys catching the u, so Charlie Kueck gave jockey Jim Gill a shot before his race. Bill Garrison holds the container of dice while Marianne Gorslewe tosses them. Inspecting the roll is Roger Eckereld. Bartenders for the evening were Dave Zembower, left, and Roger Eckereld. Flirty Flo (Ralph Young) tries to speak with the race promoter (Carmine Rossi) in an attempt to put the odds in his favor. Flirty Flo was a surprise entry for the Flamingals. Stable boy Jim Keibler keeps a close eye on all the entries for the evening races. Manatees, horses, amingos and Hawaiian ponies all stable together. adno=718737 adno=54531947

PAGE 15

OUR TOWN: OUTDOOR LIVING INSIDE: CLASSIFIEDS THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018 ÂRunning should be a lifelong activity. Approach it patiently and intelligently, and it will reward you for a long, long time.ÂŽ Â„ Michael Sargent There are many beneÂ“ts to running, which in part explains why it is one of the most popular and practiced sports worldwide. Running is not a panacea for everyone, and there certainly are risks, but for healthy individuals who run smart (in good shoes, practicing good form, stretching afterward, and not adding too many miles too fast), running can keep you happy and healthy for years to come. Running can help you lose weight. Indeed, running is a great form of cardio exercise, allowing you to burn extra calories. A study from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the V.A. Medical Center found that hard running on the treadmill burned an average of 705 to 865 calories in an hour. Running is good for the heart. Running is aerobic (with oxygen). And, according to research published in The American Journal of Cardiology, aerobic exercise (also called cardio) is very efÂ“cient and effective at improving your heart health. In addition to strengthening your heart and cardiovascular system, aerobic exercise improves circulation; increases energy; increases endurance; reduces stress, tension and anxiety; improves sleep; and reduces the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Running strengthens your bones. There have been a number of studies published on this topic, but letÂs just look at one. Published last year in the European Journal of Applied Physiology Research, researchers found that regular running can increase bone density, which may help prevent osteoporosis and other bone-related issues as we get older. This study examined the bone density of 203 10K to marathon distance runners along with 75 sedentary individuals, and found that the running group had much healthier bone density and stiffness than the sedentary group. What about the joints? ThereÂs a common misconception that running destroys joints. However this doesnÂt Why take up running?RUN FOR YOUR LIFE BettySTAUGLERCOLUMNISTRUNNING | 17 My pup has been my road trip partner on several in-state and out-of-state adventures, and we were visiting Daytona Beach when I introduced him to boating and Â“shing. This popular Florida East Coast destination is famous for spring break, NASCAR and Bike Week, but is it dog-friendly? Absolutely! Although hounds cannot step on the destinationÂs iconic beaches, there are plenty of paw-tastic activities. A couple of friends joined my mutt and me for a Â“shing trip with Capt. Rachael Reynolds of R&R Fishing Charters out of Adventure Yacht Harbor in Port Orange. Our half-day trip on the Halifax River yielded a nice haul of mangrove snapper and a pleasant afternoon on the water. It was the Â“rst time I have Â“shed from a pontoon boat, and the Â“rst time my dog has been around Â“sh. The boatÂs Â”at deck made it easy for him to waddle in his bright-orange personal Â”otation device between bow and stern to check out each catch. The spaciousness of Capt. RachaelÂs pontoon is also ideal for families and can accommodate a wheelchair. Off the water, there were plenty of activities to keep RadcliffÂs tail wagging and me smiling. We walked through Riverfront Park in Daytona BeachÂs historic downtown which parallels the Halifax River and paid respects to the cityÂs most beloved hound, Brownie the Town Dog. In 1940, a sandy-brown street dog wandered into a taxi cab ofÂ“ce and captured the communityÂs heart. For 14 years, the street dog named Brownie walked the streets of Daytona Beach, becoming a local celebrity. Some believed he had magical powers. People said when they felt down or ill, sitting with Brownie made them feel better. The dog had a bank account with enough funds to care for him and pay for his annual license. The city always issued him dog license number one. When Brownie was seen limping along the streets, Dogs doing Daytona PHOTOS BY JENNIFER HUBER/SOLOTRAVELGIRL.COMRadcli on the pontoon. Paying respects to Brownie the Town Dog. Radcli inspects a mangrove snapper while shing with Capt. Rachel Reynolds. Jennifer A.HUBERCOLUMNISTDAY TRIPPERFeels pretty good, doesnÂt it? That ride to the library to pick up a reserved book. Maybe a quick ride to City Hall for the weekly council meeting. Did you notice that many businesses recognize that folks choose to go by bike instead of car? LeroyÂs Southern Kitchen & Bar beneÂ“ted from having a bicycle corral in front of their restaurant. Ten people and bikes can park where only one car could. FishermanÂs Village has bike racks right by the entrance for 20 bicycles. Certainly beats having to park in the overÂ”ow lot and hooÂ“ng it a couple of hundred yards back and forth. The Celtic Ray has bike racks for six bikes right by the door. Punta Gorda City Hall has bike parking for several riders at the front of the public parking lot. The public safety building has bike parking right by the front door, so stopping in to pick up forms or other tasks is a breeze. Parking a bike at some of the big events in our area is much easier than trying to Â“ght for a parking spot to stash the gas-guzzler. Beef OÂ Bradys in Punta Gorda installed a 10-bicycle rack out front in collaboration with the Peace River Riders Bicycle Club. (Yes, this is one of their favorite watering holes The places youÂll go CourtNEDERVELDCOLUMNISTLIFE ON TWO WHEELSDAYTONA | 17 PLACES | 17

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Page 16 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 OUR TOWN OUTDOOR LIVING 2 Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve is a favorite local wilderness spot for many people in the Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte area. It has an impressive variety of plants and animals. Uplands scrub habitat is common here, but there are also mesic (moist but not always Â”ooded) Â”atwoods and tidal marsh habitat as well. Prairie/Shell Creek is comprised of two parcels totaling 609 acres, separated by a railroad. I suggest visiting the east parcel, located at 3081 Duncan Road (U.S. 17), Punta Gorda. There is a small parking lot at the trail head and a kiosk where you can sign in. There are no bathroom facilities at this preserve. The preserve is owned and managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. More information about Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve can be found on their website at https:// goo.gl/JyFnMq. The district conducts prescribed burns here on occasion, so be prepared to change your plans if you happen to show up when that activity is underway. I have never had that happen to me. The trails are actually maintenance and Â“re break roads. They are usually dry in the winter but areas can be wet after some rain events. This preserve is a great place to visit after some rain because the wildÂ”owers there can be amazing. Most of the east parcel is comprised of scrub habitat, so be prepared for your hike with water, sunscreen, and a hat. One of the best features of this preserve is that it is inhabited by several families of Florida scrub jays. The scrub jay is an endangered and protected species. They are wonderful to view, but please, do not call them to you and do not feed them. Doing so may cause them to become conditioned to humans, who might hurt them. Also, feeding them can cause harm to their chicks due to diet changes. Causing or potentially causing harm to scrub jays is illegal. The jays may Â“nd you and look you over. Enjoy that experience if it happens to you, but please respect their situation and keep your distance. The preserve also hosts nesting great horned owls, tree swallows, eastern towhees, various hawks, lots of warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, nighthawks, swallow-tailed kites, wading birds and many other birds. Some of these, like the great horned owl and the wading birds, are permanent residents. Many of the warblers and the gnatcatchers are winter visitors. The swallow-tailed kites migrate here in February. They nest in Florida, then start heading back to South America in July. They are usually all gone from here by September. The best known ambassador of the scrub is the gopher tortoise, and youÂll Â“nd many burrows in Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve. Black racers and other reptiles can also be seen there. There is a man-made lake toward the west end of the east parcel which often contains alligators as well as wading birds. Some of the wildÂ”owers that you might see there include lupine, pennyroyal, prickly pear cactus, tickseed, yellow-eyed grass, pale meadow beauties, partridge pea and blue hearts. The scrub lupine in Florida is not as brightly colored as the lupines I was used to seeing in the Rocky Mountains, but it beautiful just the same. Pennyroyal is a common wildÂ”ower on a lot of our preserves. It is in the mint family and is pleasing to the eye and the nose. The ground may be covered with wonderful lichens and fungi. There are often lichens in the trees as well as Spanish moss. I prefer to hike in the morning when it is cooler and dew is hopefully present. The spiderwebs are more visible then and some stunning pictures can be taken. The Greater Charlotte Harbor Sierra Group and the Peace River Audubon Society often lead hikes at this preserve. They both have web sites that you can search to get more information, or check the Bulletin Board in WaterLine for upcoming events. Enjoy the preserve! Jim Knoy is a Florida Master Naturalist and an accomplished outdoor photographer. To see some of his work, visit JimKnoy. com.Check out Prairie/Shell Creek Preserve PHOTOS BY JIM KNOYPale meadow beauty looks almost like an orchid, but itÂs actually a relative of hibiscus. The yellow owers of partridge pea are sticky to the touch. These tiny wildfowers are called bluehearts. Scrub lupine has a lovely pastel bluish-purple color. A Florida scrub jay. JimKNOYCOLUMNISTBIRDS ON THE BRAIN A dvertising S ales P eople W anted!DO YOU have a passion for helping small businesses succeed?DO YOU want to make a difference in the local business community?DO YOU like meeting people? Immediate opening We will train the right personWe O er: Â€ Great working environment Â€ Daily and weekly training Â€ Base salary plus commission on ALL sales and bonuses Â€ Recent college graduates welcomeWhat we are looking for: Â€ Outstanding work ethic Â€ Desire to learn and be successful Â€ Sincerity to help small businesses Â€ Must have a car Â€ Microsoft O ce proÂ“ cientFlorida Community Shopper Group is a full-service advertising & marketing co. in Port Charlotte Send resume to stacieg@smartshopg.comWE ARE LOOKING FOR OUR NEXT SALES SUPERSTAR, IS IT YOU?adno=57471586 adno=50531112

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The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 17 OUR TOWN OUTDOOR LIVING 3 appear to be the case. In a 2013 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers evaluating cases of hip replacements and osteoarthritis in 74,752 runners and 14,625 walkers over a 5.7-year period, found that running does not increase the chances of joint-related problems like osteoarthritis. In fact, the runners needed fewer hip replacement surgeries and had fewer cases of osteoarthritis than the walkers. Why? According to the author, the main causes of knee problems are genetics and obesity, and running reduces body mass index more than walking. Running can help you live longer. In a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers followed about 1,000 adults (ages 50 and older) for 21 years. At the end of the study, 85 percent of the runners were still alive and kicking, compared to only 66 percent of the non-runners. Running boosts the immune system. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine Study, found that people who performed aerobic activity at least Â“ve days a week suffered from upper respiratory tract infections 43 percent less often than those who got in less aerobic activity. And when runners did catch colds, their symptoms were much less severe. Running makes you happy. A growing body of research, including a 2010 study published in Experimental Technology, shows that when we run, our brains pump out endocannabinoids, cannabis-like molecules that make us happy. This, my friends, is called the runnerÂs high! If you think you might want to give running a try, I would suggest starting out with a group. Groups are a lot of fun and they can help keep you motivated. Groups can also be a place to pose those new runner questions and get yourself off on the right foot. There are a number ways to connect with other runners. Zoomers Southwest Florida Running and Triathlon Club (https:// goo.gl/cqme3M) and the Punta Gorda ChamberÂs Wednesday night Pub Runs (https://goo.gl/ 8hcjpM) are just two local examples. Betty Staugler is the Charlotte County extension agent for the Florida Sea Grant Program and an active runner. Contact her at staugler@uÂ”.edu or 941-764-4346.RUNNINGFROM PAGE 15concerned residents and visitors wrote letters to the paper asking if he was OK. Brownie is remembered as a good dog. When he passed in 1954, his bank account had sufÂ“cient funds to bury him in Riverfront Park with a modest headstone. A dogshaped topiary has since been added. Across the street is BrownieÂs Dog Boutique, where DaytonaÂs hippest dogs shop, keeping the celebrity canineÂs magic alive. Replete with reclaimed furniture and dcor, the shop features Florida-made dog treats, pet accessories, and tributes to Brownie through photographs and artwork. North of Daytona Beach is Tomoka State Park, located on a 900-acre peninsula in Ormond Beach. Many Florida state parks are pet-friendly, and dogs are permitted on most trails when on a leash. This park offers a comfortable walking trail and a kitschy, 40-foot sculpture of the legendary Timucuan Chief Tomokie standing next to spouting water with warriors protecting him. Created by artist Fred Dana Marsh and dedicated in 1957, this bold piece of art is based on Â“ctitious people and a Â“ctitious war. While the park is named Tomoka after native inhabitants, the Tomoka tribe did not exist. Spanish and French explorers had difÂ“culty pronouncing indigenous words and unable to pronounce ÂT imucua,ÂŽ they called these native people Tomoka. As mentioned, dogs are not permitted on the world-famous Dayton Beach, not even as car passengers on the portion of the beach accessible to vehicles. Pups looking to swim can do so at dog-friendly Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet. Dining is an important component of the traveling experience and Daytona Beach serves up plenty of outdoor dog-friendly dining options. While I enjoyed the eggplant lasagna, Radcliff wolfed down the meatballs at ZappiÂs Italian Grill. The Dancing Avocado Kitchen has a colorful vibe and the tofu scramble with tofu, iguana vegetables, and toast is a fabulous breakfast option. Sweet MarlayÂs Coffee is perfect for sipping a latte and freshbaked pastry. LuLuÂs Oceanside Grill is lively and serves fresh seafood and delicious cocktails. Sip craft beer alongside your pooch at Ormond Brewing Company and grab a sweet, cool treat at RhokkohÂs Frozen Yogurt. Dogs visiting Daytona Beach should be up to date on vaccinations, be kept on a leash in areas that allow dogs, and owners should clean up after them. Remember to know your dogÂs limits when in public areas for a paw-sitively good time. Jennifer Huber is just your average forty-something-year-old gal living life solo, and writing about her travels on her blog, SoloTravelGirl.com. Listen to Solo Travel GirlÂs adventures near and far every Thursday at noon on 97.5 FM or KDWRadio.com.DAYTONAFROM PAGE 15after a ride.) Maybe the thought is forming that there is really nowhere in the county that canÂt be reached by bicycle. As time progresses, the idea that maybe there is noplace in the country that canÂt be visited by bicycle will coalesce. A ride of any length starts with the Â“rst mile. Sometimes just the idea of getting out and breathing some air, turning the legs, and enjoying a ride without a lot of thought involved is attractive. There are many places in the county where trafÂ“c is light and the scenery beats macadam and commercial signs. One of my favorites is Cecil Webb off Tuckers Grade south of Punta Gorda. This gem in the county contains a paved road that is Â“ve miles long. If you ride to the end, itÂs another Â“ve miles back for an easy ten miles. YouÂll likely see wild Florida along with other cyclists just trying to get some exercise and entertainment. Picture taking is encouraged. Pack a lunch and make a day of it. No requirement to do just one loop and in the cycling world, a half metric century is 32 miles. If youÂre still not sure of how many miles you can do, Pedal and Play in Paradise is a great cycling event with over 500 riders in Punta Gorda March 9 and 10. More information can be found at https://goo.gl/bgY7x1. Pedal and Play is about having fun, but it also supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and TEAM Punta GordaÂs Bicycle Initiatives. There is one warning to make here, from one cyclist to another: Cycling can be addictive. After Â“nding the bicycle 14 years ago, IÂve averaged about 8,000 miles every year riding in Charlotte County. IÂm almost ashamed to say that friends I ride with occasionally will record 10,000 or 12,000 miles a year. Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, said it best. ÂWhen the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.ÂŽ Did you ride your bike today? Court Nederveld owns his own computer consulting and Â“xit service Â„ Bits, Bytes & Chips Computer Service Â„ and is an avid bicyclist. You can reach him adakeep@ hotmail.com or 941-626-3285.PLACESFROM PAGE 15 It took a camper the size of a Â“sh house to address Ron SalargoÂs midlife crisis. To celebrate his 50th birthday last year, the Hopkins resident quit his full-time job as an accounts payable manager to hit the open road in a medium-sized Ford SUV. To affordably and comfortably circumnavigate the country in 82 days, he towed a teardrop camper so light and compact that he could push it by hand. ÂIt worked out great,ÂŽ said Salargo, who slept in the camper all but 11 nights. ÂEverything is open to you. You can put this onto a tent site if they let you.ÂŽ Teardrop campers belong to the fastest-growing segment of the recreational vehicle industry. U.S. shipments of towable RVs have increased by one-third in just the past three years. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, the same category of conventional travel trailers has grown 75 percent since 2013 and the segment has become bigger than all other types of RVs combined. In 2018, shipments of teardrop campers and all other travel trailers is expected to reach 346,600 units. The growth has come at the expense of other types of RVs, including folding camping trailers. Experts say millennials and young Generation Xers are breathing new life into the RV industry, captivated by the lure of getting back to nature or seeing new places without strapping themselves with debt and oversized assets. ÂItÂs a generation more interested in experiences, not things,ÂŽ said Mike Geister, the owner of EscapePods, a Minnesota builder of the retro-style RVs. ÂA teardrop camper lends itself perfectly to that.ÂŽ Geister, whose small company in New London, Minn., will produce about 50 campers this year, said the style dates back to the post-World War II era when aluminum was in surplus and returning soldiers were accustomed to being outdoors and on the move. Teardrop campers with ÂclamshellÂŽ trunks were aerodynamic and light enough to be pulled by the motor vehicles of that time. Salargo said his Ohiobuilt Nucamp RV camper (about $11,000) comes with a clamshell that encloses a two-burner stove, cooler, toaster oven and other kitchen supplies. The main cabin of the camper came with two mattresses, but he removed one to make room for his dog, Mabel. In their search for Âeveryday America,ÂŽ as Salargo called it, he and Mabel parked in plenty of KOA campgrounds, an assortment of public parks, and the driveways of a few friends and relatives along the way. Their journey around the perimeter of the United States was roughly patterned after a route described by American author John Steinbeck in ÂTravels with Charley,ÂŽ a 1962 travelogue. Charley was SteinbeckÂs standard poodle, and the book inspired Salargo to self-publish an internet blog called ÂTravels with Mabel.ÂŽ The no-fuss camper was a key to the tripÂs spontaneity. ÂYou kind of see something on the map and youÂd ask the dog: ÂDo you want to go see this?ÂÂŽ Salargo recalled. Rowan Oak, the famed residence in Oxford, Miss., of novelist William Faulkner, was one of several destinations that required a small rig, he said. Winnebago Industries, the RV giant with executive ofÂ“ces in Eden Prairie, is one of the companies that has invested signiÂ“cantly in the compact trailer movement. Winnebago acquired travel trailer-maker Grand Design in 2016 and now sports a line of curved Minnie Drop trailers with a range of Â”oor plans big enough to appeal to young families enjoying the outdoors. Winnebago spokesman Sam Jefson said easy towing is a key to the trend, saving families the expense of having to buy a new pickup truck or heavyweight SUV.Small RVs are big right nowBy TONY KENNEDYSTAR TRIBUNE PHOTO PROVIDEDBigger isnÂt always better. Tiny RVs are the hottest thing going in the camping world. adno=50531041 VOTED BEST OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY FOR SALES AND SERVICE PT. CHARLOTTE 941-627-0056 DELIVERY AVAILABLE2626 TAMIAMI TRAIL PORT CHARLOTTE, FL Â€ 941-629-2801**EXCLUDES ONE OF A KIND FLOOR MODELS, DISCOUNTED MODELS, ONLY APPLICABLE TO COMPATIBLE SALES. ACTION APPLIANCEWE WILL MATCH COMPETITOR PRICES!COME IN AND SEE MORE UNADVERTISED SPECIALS FACTORY AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER WTW7300DWWED7300DW TOP LOAD Washer & ELECTRIC STEAM Dryer Front Load WASHER HIGH CAPACITY DRYER adno=50530429 6 MONTHSINTEREST FREE FINANCING! Incredible Savings & Selection for all your appliance needs. KMHS120ESS KRFC704FSS KSEB900ESS KDTM354ESS Stainless Steel Appliance Package VOTED BEST OF Charlotte County For Sales AND Service MED3500FW MHW3505FW

The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com E/N/C Page 19 OUR TOWN OUTDOOR LIVING 5 OUTDOOR NEWS BULLETIN BOARDGOT AN EVENT COMING UP?WeÂd be happy to let people know. Email your info to Editor@ WaterLineWeekly.com at least two weeks before the event.BOAT RAMP REOPENSThe Harbour Heights Boat Ramp reopened to the public on Feb. 26 upon completion of repairs. The boat ramp is located at Harbour Heights Park, 27420 Voyageur Drive in Punta Gorda.PIER CLOSING FOR THE MONTHThe Boca Grande Fishing Pier (5810 Gasparilla Road, Placida) will close from March 2 to 30 to undergo a hand rail and side rail replacement. During the renovation, visit the Placida Fishing Pier (13120 Pier Road, Englewood). For more info, contact Brenda Sisk at 941-833-3824 or Brenda.Sisk@CharlotteCountyFL.gov.FISHINÂ TALK RADIO SEMINARThe next event in the FishinÂ Talk Radio (formerly Radio WaterLine) seminar series will be held March 6 at Gasparilla MarinaÂs Waterside Grill (15001 Gasparilla Road, Placida). Seminars are scheduled for the rst Tuesday of each month and are hosted by the boys from FishinÂ Talk Radio. Topics vary depending on how the shing is going, but youÂre guaranteed to learn something useful Â„ and if you have any questions you want answered, bring Âem with you. Come out at 5:30 p.m. and enjoy dinner and drinks with Josh Olive and Capt. Mike Myers (you buy your own); the talk gets started at 6:30 p.m. For more info, call Capt. Mike at 941-416-8047 or Josh at 941-276-9657.AUDUBON WALKABOUTPlease join Peace River Audubon at 8 a.m. March 6 for a Walkabout at Hathaway Park (35461 Washington Loop Road, Punta Gorda). We will explore a variety of habitats near Shell Creek on two short trails. This beautiful small park is known mainly to those who use the park ramps for canoeing and kayaking, but there are a number of bird species that make this site interesting for birding and nature study. Some of the birds seen in previous years include painted bunting, bald eagle, barred owl, limpkin, swallow-tailed kite and crested caracara. Maybe we will be lucky. Dress for the weather and a few hours of easy walking. For more info, call Eleanor Marr at 941-624-4182 or visit PeaceRiverAudubon.org.ADULT SAILING CLASS The Englewood Sailing Association is oering the opportunity to learn to sail or refresh your skills with their ÂSnowbird Adult Sail CampÂŽ for ages 18 and older. This popular four-day course will be held March 12-15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily at the ESA Sailing Center at Indian Mound Park (210 Winson Ave., Englewood). The only requirements are the ability to swim and the desire to sail. The course is $175 and includes everything youÂll need. Registration is open at the Englewood SKY Family YMCA (701 Medical Blvd., Englewood). For more info, contact Craig Keller at 941-276-3115. Also, visit EnglewoodSailing.org. Space in this class is limited to 10 students.NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY MEETSThe Mangrove Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society invites you to join them at their next meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. March 13. The featured speaker will be North Port stormwater manager Elizabeth Wong, and her topic will be North PortÂs fertilizer ordinance and plants for pollutant reduction. There will be plenty of time for comments, questions and lots of good discussion with snacks included. Meetings are held at Lemon Bay Park (570 Bay Park Blvd., Englewood). For more info, call 941-7693633 or visit Mangrove.FNPSChapters.org.AUDUBON BANQUETThe Peace River Audubon Society will hold their annual fundraising banquet and silent auction from 5:30 to 9 p.m. March 15 at Twin Isles Country Club (301 Madrid Blvd., Punta Gorda). This yearÂs featured speaker will be Liz White, a Ph.D. student in the rangeland wildlife and ecosystems program at UF-IFAS Range Cattle Research & Education Center. Ticket must be purchased in advance by March 6; $33 per person ($36 afrer Feb. 24). To reserve or for information, contact Sandy Artman at 717-880-3341 or Banquet1@PeaceRiverAudubon.org. VENICE FISHING CLUB MEETSThe Venice Fishing Club will meet at the Nokomis Fire Dept. (111 Pavonia Road, Nokomis) at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month. At the March 20 meeting, the speaker will be a representative from Freedom Boat Club, discussing the benets of membership versus owning a boat. After the speaker, a general shing discussion will be held. Drinks and snacks will be provided for members and rst-time guests. You will be required to join the club to attend again. Joining at a cost of $40 per family will give you access to the clubÂs Facebook page and to view members sh pics, where the sh are, bait used, etc. and ongoing events. Contact Bob at abob1@hotmail.com for more info.CALLING ALL BUTTERFLY LOVERSAt the next meeting of the Peace River Buttery Society, planned for 11 a.m. March 21 at the Port Charlotte GFWC WomanÂs Club (20271 Tappan Zee Drive, Port Charlotte), the topic will be longleaf pine ecosystems and forestry management at Myakka State Forest. Eric Strickland, coorperative assistance forester for the Florida Forest Service, will speak at the meeting. Buttery enthusiasts will gain insight into how forestry management aects buttery populations and how post-burn areas promote successional regrowth of host and nectar plants essential to buttery forest species. Seating is limited; RSVP to Olivia Scott at 941-625-0381 or SFScott2011@hotmail.comCHARLOTTE CCA BANQUETPlans are underway for the 28th annual Coastal Conservation Association Charlotte Chapter banquet and auction, scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. March 22. We are extremely excited to be hosting our banquet once again at the beautiful Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center (75 Taylor Street, Punta Gorda). We will be oering the best steaks anywhere, provided and cooked by the World Famous Texas Cattle Company. The entire event will be rst-class and something you will be proud to be associated with. We are seeking the help of folks like you to make the night as memorable as possible. Your support will allow CCA to continue to protect our marine sheries resources. For more info or to reserve tickets, go to https://goo.gl/uce2VK.LADIES, LETÂS GO FISHINGThe popular ÂLadies, LetÂs Go Fishing!ÂŽ University returns to the Gulf Coast March 23-25 for their saltwater shing seminar weekend at Bass Pro Shops Fort Myers (10040 Gulf Center Drive). Hosted by the nonprot Ladies LetÂs Go Fishing Foundation, the event oers classroom instruction, hands-on shing activities, conservation, networking and optional guided boat shing. The program features speakers on conservation, inshore/backcountry and kayak shing, equipment usage and more, followed by a hands-on shing skill practice for releasing; dehooking/conservation; knot tying; lure usage; y, spin and net casting; sh ghting techniques and more. Participants can also opt to sh from ats charters, a group boat or from kayaks with guides and tackle provided, followed by sh lleting. No equipment or experience is necessary. For more info or to register, go to LadiesLetsGoFishing.com.VENICE BOATING COURSEAmericaÂs Boating Course is being oered by the Venice Sail and Power Squadron from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 24 at Waymire Training Center in Welleld Park (1450 Lucaya Ave., Venice). Subjects covered include docking and undocking maneuvers, required and suggested equipment, rules of the road, Florida regulations, using a trailer including backing, PWC operation and handling emergency situations. You must pre-register by March 18. Fee for the course is $50 per student and there is a family discount. Call 941-244-8331 for more info or to register. A boating safety ID card required by the State of Florida for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988 will be issued upon successful completion of the course. If you have an event you want included in the Outdoor News Bulletin Board, email it to Editor@WaterLineWeekly.com The Venice Area Birding Association will host the following eld trips. The public is welcome to come along at no charge; no birding experience is necessary. For more info or to sign up, email the listed trip leader. Abbie : Amberina@aol.com | Steve : SFreedman7@gmail.com | Deb : Bosss302@ comcast.net | Christine : ChrisBDukes@gmail.com | Robert : RAKraft2@gmail.com | Andy : AWhite369@ me.com | Don: DonRippeon @aol.com | Margaret : MKDunson1@comcast.net | Jean : FlutterbyQuilts@ verizon.net | Kate : KateBorduas@gmail.com. March 7: Harns Marsh .......................................Andy March 18: Celery Field .......................................Andy March 24: Wildower Preserve ........................Abbie April 7: Tippecanoe .............................................Kate April 11: Kiwanis Park ...................Christine & Robert April 14: Boyd Hill, St. Pete .................................Deb April 16: Pinecraft Park ...................................... Deb April 18: Pinecraft Park .......................................Deb VABA BIRDING TRIPS The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center and the Charlotte County Natural Resource Department will be conducting the following free guided walks and programs. Unless noted, all walks begin at 9 a.m. For directions, reservations or more info, call 941-475-0769. All programs can be found at CHECFlorida.org. MARCH 1: Join a CHEC naturalist on a guided walk through Tippecanoe II Mitigation Preserve (16259 Joppa Ave., Port Charlotte). This 150-acre preserve is home to several families of the threatened Florida scrub jay. Meet in the parking lot. MARCH 6 & 20: Join Kate Borduas on a guided walk through 308-acre Tippecanoe Environmental Park (behind the Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte). This Charlotte County park includes habitats such as scrub, pine atwoods, marsh and wetlands. MARCH 7: Explore the ÂMysteries of MigrationÂŽ with Kate Borduas at Bayshore Live Oak Park (23157 Bayshore Road, Port Charlotte). Kate will focus on the fall and spring migration of birds that we see here in Florida and she will explain how and why birds are able to make these epic journeys. Reservations advised. Program begins at 10 a.m. MARCH 7, 13, 18: Join a CHEC naturalist on a guided walk through the old-growth pine atwoods and mangrove fringe of 125-acre Oyster Creek/Ann Dever Regional Park in Englewood. Meet at the San Casa entrance (6791 San Casa Drive). MARCH 11, 28: Join a CHEC naturalist on a guided walk through the 81-acre Bill Coy/Buck Creek Preserve (5350 Placida Road, Englewood). The scrubby atwoods and mangrove swamp border Buck Creek, which ows into Lemon Bay. Meet in the parking lot. MARCH 12 & 29: Get wild and wet! Join a CHEC naturalist at Cedar Point Park (2300 Placida Road, Englewood) on a seagrass wading trip into Lemon Bay in search of marine organisms such as seahorses, crabs and juvenile sh. Registration required. MARCH 13: Join Nancy Clayton on a guided birding walk through the scrub and pine atwoods of 217-acre Amberjack Environmental Park on Cape Haze. Meet in the parking lot (6250 Gasparilla Pines Blvd., Placida). Meet at 8 a.m. MARCH 14, 19, 27: Join a CHEC naturalist on a guided walk through the scrub and pine atwoods of 217-acre Amberjack Environmental Park in Cape Haze. Meet in the parking lot (6250 Gasparilla Pines Blvd., Placida). MARCH 21: Lichen enthusiast Kate Borduas hopes to open your eyes to the ÂWonderful Wacky World of LichensÂŽ at Bayshore Live Oak Park (23157 Bayshore Road, Port Charlotte). Lichen are a food source for many animals and have been put to multiple uses by man including pollution monitoring. Reservations advised. Program begins at 10 a.m. MARCH 24: Join Cindy Christel and Phyllis Cady on a guided walk through Charlotte Flatwoods Environmental Park (5801 S. Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda), a 487-acre Charlotte County property of mature pines, dry prairie, marsh wetlands and freshwat er ponds. Its location adjourning state lands make it an important wildlife corridor. Meet at 8:30 a.m. CHEC FIELD TRIPS The following outings will be held by the Greater Charlotte Harbor Sierra Club. Outings are free and the public is invited to attend. For kayak trips, all participants must provide their own watercraft, PFD and be able to swim. Voluntary donations to the club are always appreciated. Call the listed number for more info. PADDLE MYRTLE SLOUGH: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 8 & 21, April 4 & 22, May 4. Florida Master Naturalist Jim Story will lead us through a freshwater jungle to tidal Shell Creek waterfall and dam. Reserve at 941-505-8904. NATURE WALK AT FOOTPRINTS TRAIL: 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. March 10. Join John Phillips and Jamie Reynolds as we walk a trail through pine atwoods, wet prairie and cypress swamp habitats. 941-639-7468. PADDLE WEBB LAKE: 8:30 to 11 a.m. March 12. Paddle along the shores of Webb Lake observing waterfowl, wildowers and fragrant pine forests. Call Florida Master Naturalist Jamie Reynolds at 941-637-8284 to reserve. PADDLE ALLIGATOR CREEK: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 14, May 9. Explore the shoreline of Alligator Creek in Punta Gorda with Florida Master Naturalist Helen Buonviri and Bill Schuyler. We will enjoy a lunch at Callaloo Restaurant & Bar before returning to the launch. Bring lunch money! Reserve with Helen at 941-467-0974 or Bill at 941-763-9248. KAYAK DEER PRAIRIE CREEK: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 17. Your kayaking skills will be tested on this twisting, overgrown waterway that begins in Deer Prairie Park near North Port. Reserve with Allain at 941-423-2713. NATURE WALK AT OLD DATSUN TRAIL: 8:30 to 11 a.m. March 20. Join Florida Master Naturalists John Phillips and Jamie Reynolds as they lead us through this area of pine atwoods, saltwater and freshwater marshes with mangrove vegetation and unusual plant species. 941-639-7468. PADDLE LOWER PEACE RIVER: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 23, April 6, May 18. Birdwatching paddle down to a rookery and then up Deep Creek or the river to the Nav-A-Gator for lunch. Return via a dierent Peace River route. Bring lunch money! Reserve with Rick Fried at 941-637-8805. BIKE BABCOCKWEBB WMA: 8:30 to 11 a.m. March 28. Come along on a leisurely bike ride with Florida Master Naturalists Jamie Reynolds and John Phillips to explore the wetlands and pine lands along the Webb Lake Road. Must reserve at 941-637-8284. NATURE WALK AT BABCOCKWEBB WMA: 8:30 to 11 a.m. April 9. Join Florida Master Naturalists John Phillips and Jamie Reynolds as we walk along the old Seaboard grade, observing slash pine, saw palmetto and sabal palm among other vegetation, wildowers, butteries as well as other wildlife. 941-639-7468. PADDLE FROM PONCE DE LEON PARK: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 12. Explore mangrove tunnels and the shoreline of Charlotte Harbor with Florida Master Naturalist Helen Buonviri and Bill Schuyler. Facilities available. Reserve with Helen at 941-467-0974 or Bill at 941-763-9248. SIERRA CLUB OUTINGS The Lemon Bay Conservancy invites you to join us for a variety of informative, free nature walks. For more info about these trips, call 941-830-8922. WILDFLOWER PRESERVE HABITAT RESTORATION: 9 to 11 a.m. March 3 Â„ Join Charlie Woodruff on Dec. 9 or Bob Cooper on Jan. 27 for a first-hand look at the major habitat restoration project currently underway at Wildflower Preserve (3120 Gasparilla Pines Blvd., Englewood) and observe some of the many plants and animals within the preserve. BEACH AND BARRIER ISLAND ECOLOGY: 9 to 11:30 am. March 6 & 20 Â„ A 2.5-mile walk from the Stump Pass State Park (900 Gulf Boulevard, Englewood) parking area to the pass at the southern tip of Manasota Key. The natural and human history of the area will be discussed, along with the dredging of the pass and the jetty. Stump Pass State Park entry fee is $3 per vehicle. BARRIER ISLAND ECOLOGY: 9 to 11 a.m. March 13 Â„ Blind Pass Park (Middle Beach, 6725 Manasota Key Road, Englewood) is an unusually nice place to study the community ecology of Manasota Key. A short walk from the parking lot reveals very nice examples of natural coastal communities. Guided by Bill Dunson. JUVENILE TARPON RESEARCH: 7:45 a.m. to noon March 17 Â„ Join LBC volunteers in hands-on volunteer work using long seine nets to study the juvenile tarpon population in Lemon Creek at Wildflower Preserve. Interested volunteers should contact Jim Cooper at 941-979-6258 or JCoop43@ comcast.net. NATURE OF WILDFLOWER: 9 to 11 a.m. March 24 Â„ Wildflower Preserve (3120 Gasparilla Pines Blvd., Englewood) is home to a great diversity of plants and animals. During this leisurely two-hour walk, we will observe some of these and discuss plans to improve the preserve habitats over time. Guided by Dave Clayton and Bob Cooper on Feb. 24, and by Bob on March 24. LBC FIELD TRIPS adno=717516 ADNO=718746

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Page 20 E/N/C www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 OUR TOWN OUTDOOR LIVING 6 ItÂs time to admit it: We have a long-standing love affair with the sea, yet we donÂt swim very well and have a real hard time breathing water. The only thing we have going for us is our big brains, and thatÂs why we invented boats. People have been using boats for at least 40,000 years (thatÂs when Australia was Â“rst settled, and thereÂs no way to walk there). No vessels from that time survive, though we can guess from boats built by other Stone Age cultures that survived into the modern era that those boats would have been absolutely terrifying on the open sea. How would you like to be out on the deep blue in a hollowed-out log? No thank you. Of course, with todayÂs technology, thereÂs really no need to risk your life just to see whatÂs on the next island over. With the advent of Â”otation hulls, even if you sink you donÂt really sink. A prospective boat buyer, much like car buyers, is more likely to be concerned with comfort and convenience than safety. ThereÂs a good reason for that Â„ weÂve made both boats and cars far safer than they used to be. But as with driving a car, you can get into a lot of trouble very quickly piloting a boat with no education. There are rules on the water, and if you donÂt know them youÂre a hazard to everyone, including yourself. Once youÂve put the necessary knowledge into your brain, a whole new world of possibilities opens up. A boat offers all sorts of fun opportunities. You can take the wife to a waterside dinner or shelling on a secluded shore. You can take the grandkids out to explore a grassÂ”at or wakeboarding. You can check out the Â“shing hotspot your buddies keep telling you about. You can take the in-laws out to sea and leave them there (kidding, kidding). Once you decide to sign up for the boating lifestyle, you have the joy and hassle of Â“nding the right boat. For all-round fun on the water, deck boats and bay boats are your best options, but there are a many other choices depending exactly what it is you want to do. Even among bay and deck boats, there are hundreds of different models and thousands of different factory and aftermarket options. Ultimately, your boat will be an expression of your personality, and it will be unique to you. Boat ownership is not all beer and skittles. YouÂve probably heard that a boat ownerÂs two happiest days are the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it, and that a boat is a hole in the water in which to throw money, and that B.O.A.T. stands for Âbreak out another thousand.ÂŽ All those things can be true, especially for buyers who donÂt do their research and end up with a vessel that doesnÂt really suit them. Another good way to waste money is to not keep up with regular maintenance. An outboard motor that doesnÂt get Â”ushed will have a much shorter lifespan. Gelcoat that gets ruined for lack of cleaning will be expensive to Â“x. But if you donÂt ignore the chores that go along with the fun, you can save a bundle. Boating can be awesome, and boating can be a huge pain. But the fact is Charlotte Harbor is one of the best places in the world to be a boater, and it would be a real shame to live so close to it and not take advantage of that. Email Josh at Publisher@ WaterLineWeekly.com. Boating: The good and badBy JOSH OLIVEWATERLINE PUBLISHERPHOTO PROVIDED adno=717520 adno=717512

The News Wire Thursday, March 1, 2018 STATE Â€ NATIONAL Â€ WORLD Â€ BUSINESS Â€ WEATHER Trump taunts SessionsAttorney General Jeff Sessions abandoned his usual stony silence and pushed back against President Donald Trump for saying SessionsÂ response to Republican complaints about the FBI was Âdisgraceful.ÂŽ See page 6. AP PHOTOA student heads back to school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday. With a heavy police presence, classes resumed for the rst time since several students and teachers were killed by a former student on Feb. 14. We are with you!PARKLAND, Fla. Â„ Students and teachers hugged and cried Wednesday as they returned under heavy police guard to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High for the Â“rst time since a teenager with an assault riÂ”e killed 17 people and thrust the huge Florida school into the center of a renewed national gun debate. The half-day began with fourth period so that the nearly 3,300 students could Â“rst be with the people they were with during the shooting two weeks ago. ÂIn the beginning, everyone was super serious, but then everyone cheered up and it started being the same vibes we had before the shooting. People started laughing and joking around,ÂŽ said Kyle Kashuv, a junior who said he hugged every single teacher. On the way in, teens were guarded by hundreds of police ofÂ“cers. The police were accompanied by comfort animals, including dogs, horses and a donkey. One of the horses had Âeagle prideÂŽ painted on its side. A nearby woman held a sign offering Âfree kisses.ÂŽ After school dismissed, members of the Guardian Angels wearing their trademark red berets lined the streets at a crosswalk. Kashuv said he was amazed by the outpouring of support from the community, including the police presence, the animals and many well-wishers. There were letters from all over the world and Âbanners on every single wall,ÂŽ he said. Some of the ofÂ“cers carried military-style riÂ”es, and Superintendent Robert Runcie said the police presence would continue for the remainder of the school year. The heavy arms rattled some students. ÂThis is a picture of education in fear in this country.ÂŽ The National RiÂ”e Association Âwants more people just like this, with that exact Â“rearm, to scare more people and sell more guns,ÂŽ said David Hogg, who has become a leading voice in the student movement to restrict assault weapons. About 150 grief counselors were on campus Âto provide a lot of love, a lot of understandingÂŽ and to help students Âease backÂŽ into their school routines, Runcie said. The freshman building where the Feb. 14 massacre took place remained cordoned off. Students were told leave their backpacks at home. Principal Ty Thomas tweeted that the schoolÂs focus would be on Âemotional readiness and comfort, not curriculum.ÂŽ In each classroom, colored pencils, coloring books, stress balls and toys were available to help students cope. ÂItÂs not how you go down. ItÂs how you get back up,ÂŽ said Casey Sherman, a 17-year-old junior. She said she was not afraid to be return, Âjust nervous.ÂŽ Many students said the debate over new gun laws helped them process the traumatic event and prepared them to return. Alexis Grogan, a 15-year-old sophomore, was concerned that it might be too soon to go on as usual without slain friends such as Luke Hoyer, who sat two seats behind her in Spanish class. ÂSeeing everyone was good, but emotionally I was in shambles. I probably broke down into tears 10-plus times and had to walk out of my classes multiple times throughout the day,ÂŽ she said. As classes resumed, DickÂs Sporting Goods, a major U.S. retailer, announced that it would immediately halt sales of assault-style riÂ”es and high-capacity magazines at all of its stores and ban the sale of all guns to anyone under 21. The companyÂs CEO took on the NRA by demanding tougher gun laws. At the Florida Capitol, a House Hugs, tears and police: High school reopens after shootingBy KELLI KENNEDY, TERRY SPENCER and JOSH REPLOGLEASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON Â„ White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, one of President Donald TrumpÂs closest and most loyal aides, is resigning. The departure of one of the presidentÂs longest-serving advisers, who worked as a one-woman communications shop during his winning campaign, came as a surprise to most in the White House Â„ and cast a pall over the West Wing at a tumultuous time. The news comes a day after Hicks was interviewed for nine hours by the House panel investigating Russia interference in the 2016 election and contact between TrumpÂs campaign and Russia. In a statement, Trump praised Hicks for her work over the last three years, saying he Âwill miss having her by my side.ÂŽ Hicks, who occupied the desk closest to the Oval OfÂ“ce in the West Wing, has been a central participant in or witness to nearly every milestone and controversy of the Trump campaign and White House. She began her White House tenure as director of strategic communications Â„ a title that only partly captured her more expansive role as the presidentÂs gatekeeper to the press. Hicks acknowledged to a House intelligence panel Tuesday that she has occasionally told Âwhite liesÂŽ for Trump. But she said she had not lied about anything relevant to the Russia investigation. She has also been interviewed by special counsel Robert MuellerÂs team about her role in crafting a statement about Donald Trump Jr.Âs 2016 meeting with Russians, as White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigningBy ZEKE MILLER and JILL COLVINASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON Â„ After the Big Bang, it was dark and cold. And then there was light. Now, for the Â“rst time, astronomers have glimpsed that dawn of the universe 13.6 billion years ago when the earliest stars were turning on the light in the cosmic darkness. And if thatÂs not enough, they may have detected mysterious dark matter at work, too. The glimpse consisted of a faint radio signal from deep space, picked up by an antenna that is slightly bigger than a refrigerator and costs less than $5 million but in certain ways can go back much farther in time and distance than the celebrated, multibillion-dollar Hubble Space Telescope. Judd Bowman of Arizona State University, lead author of a study in WednesdayÂs journal Nature, said the signal came from the very Â“rst objects in the universe as it was emerging out of darkness 180 million years after the Big Bang. Seeing the universe just WASHINGTON Â„ The Supreme Court grappled Wednesday on where to draw a line when it comes to voters who want to wear a ÂMake America Great AgainÂŽ hat, a Â#resistÂŽ T-shirt, a ÂParkland StrongÂŽ button or other political messages when they cast ballots. A century-old Minnesota law, similar to those in about nine other states, prohibits voters from wearing clothes with political messaging related to an election or ballot question. The state wants to keep the dignity, decorum and solemnity of polling places. But voters challenged that ban as being too broad when it prohibits something like a shirt with a tea party slogan or ÂBlack Lives Matter,ÂŽ and argued that they donÂt lose their First Amendment rights at the polling place door. The justices will decide the case before the term ends in June, and it could affect laws in every state about what is appropriate attire at polling locations. Left to Â“gure out what exactly MinnesotaÂs law would ban, the arguments featured liberal Justice Elena Kagan uttering TrumpÂs ubiquitous campaign slogan, and conservative Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wondering about someone wearing a rainbow Â”ag shirt. The Make America Great Again hat wouldnÂt be permitted, said Daniel Rogan, the lawyer arguing on behalf of Minnesota. But the shirt with the rainbow Â”ag would be allowed unless Astronomers glimpse cosmic dawn, when the stars switched onSupreme Court considers voter fashion senseBy SETH BORENSTEINAP SCIENCE WRITERBy Todd RugerCQ-ROLL CALL FASHION | 2 STARS | 2 REOPENS | 2 HICKS | 2 AP PHOTOWhite House Communications Director Hope Hicks AP IMAGEThis image provided by the National Science Foundation shows a rendering of how the rst stars in the universe might have looked. PHOTO PROVIDED BOB'S BETTER HEARING25 Years of Service and Thousands of Successful Custom Patient Fittings Call today: 941.249.4503Maple Leaf Plaza Â€ 2200 Kings Hwy., Port Charlotte Â€ www.BobsBetterHearingSWFL.com Bring in this coupon to receive up to:50% OFFMSRP of a pair of new lithium-ion Starkey Hearing Aids. Coupon must be presented. Not valid on previous purchase or combined with other discounts. 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The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com Page 3 STATE-BY-STATE This natural phenomenongets epic attention. When a calming blue hue appears on ice Â„ now occurring in the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan Â„ residents look on in awe and photographers get to work. ÂThe blue ice is incredible. When it shows up, itÂs like these mountains of ice just appear on the shores out of nowhere,ÂŽ said Tori Burley, a photographer from Mackinaw City. ÂTheyÂre huge. I havenÂt seen a photo that truly does them justice on just how giant they are.ÂŽ Je Caverly, a photographer from Essexville about 160 miles to the southeast on Saginaw Bay, said he and his brother were on the way two years ago to Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula and were at a loss for words when they saw the blue ice under the Mackinac Bridge in the afternoon light. ÂWe grabbed our cameras and took a hike out on the ice to explore,ÂŽ Caverly said. ÂThe ice had piled up and there were great views everywhere.ÂŽ Burley advises photographers to try to shoot at sunrise or just before sunset to get the perfect shot. ÂThe lower light gives the ice the best blue glow and makes it pop a lot more in photos,ÂŽ she said. When lake ice is clear with no bubbles, in this case where lakes Michigan and Huron meet, it allows for short wavelength light to penetrate and scatter in the water below and reect back through the ice, said George Leshkevich, a eld scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationÂs Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich. ÂIn deep, midlake water, where chlorophyll content is low, the reection of the water can make the ice look even bluer,ÂŽ he said. To see the blue ice, you need to be quick. As February turns into March and temperatures rise, the ice in the Straits of Mackinac is beginning to melt. ÂThe crazy part is how they can disappear so quickly after showing up. Just a day or two and you can completely miss it,ÂŽ Burley said. ÂItÂs amazing, and it doesnÂt happen this big that often, which makes it even more exciting.ÂŽ More of the photographerÂs work can be viewed on her website, trilliumandpine.com. More of CaverlyÂs work can be viewed on his website, jecaverly.com. HIGHLIGHT: MICHIGAN Blue ice is piled Monday on Lake Huron at the Straits of Mackinac, with the Mackinac Bridge as a backdrop.TORI BURLEYBlue mountains of ice rise, fleetingly, in lakes Omar Abdel-BaquiDetroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORKALABAMALoxley: Authorities say an escaped Loxley Work Center inmate was caught by a Department of Corrections K9 unit about a mile away.ALASKAFairbanks: A marijuana ordinance proposes an onsite consumption ban and a limit of 12 marijuana retail stores in the city. ARIZONAFlagsta: A Northern Arizona University ocial is getting ak over a proposed $75 per semester fee that would raise $3.1million a year for the athletics department. ARKANSASSearcy: State highway ocials plan to turn U.S. 67 into an extension of Interstate 57. CALIFORNIALos Angeles: The state will allow driverless car testing for the rst time without a backup human driver in the car on April 2. COLORADODenver: The city has signed o on its rst legal marijuana club, the Coee Joint. CONNECTICUTHartford: State ocials say a cyberattack targeted about 1 60 computers at 12 state agencies. There were no reports of les being encrypted or of data loss. DELAWAREDover: A federal appeals court has upheld a state practice on unclaimed property, allowing it to audit out-of-state subsidiary books of Delaware-based companies. That brought in $554 millionlast year. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:Mayor Muriel Bowser reminded ocials that city policy prohibits removing social media followers after Metro Police Chief Peter Newsham threatened to block people who post Âcruel and nasty thingsÂŽ on his Twitter account. FLORIDAEustis: Authorities say a man died after crashing a red-andwhite ultralight Âtrike aircraftÂŽ near a runway. GEORGIAValdosta: Authorities are investigating the stateÂs sixth apparent inmate suicide this year, this one at Valdosta State Prison. HAWAIIHonolulu: A state appeals court last week armed that Aloha Bed & Breakfast discriminated against two women by denying them a room because theyÂre gay. IDAHOTwin Falls: The Cassia County SheriÂs Oce is recruiting technical center students to build shooting targets for its SWAT team. ILLINOISChampaign: Graduate student workers at the University of Illinois went on strike after 11months of unsuccessful contract talks. INDIANASouth Bend: Stinson-Remick Hall of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame was evacuated after a small chemical explosion Monday in a laboratory.IOWABurlington: A thaw at Blu Harbor Marina left anglers and gulls with a surprise: thousands of tiny dead shad, the Hawk Eye reports. KANSASOverland Park: The state medical board has ned a doctor $2,500 and put his license on probation for improper and potentially dangerous opioid prescribing. KENTUCKYBowling Green: Western Kentucky University is eliminating its University College and cutting up to 1 40 jobs to make up a $15 million budget shortfall.LOUISIANABaton Rouge: A company building a crude oil pipeline asked a judge to suspend her order temporarily halting work pending an appeal. Bayou Bridge Pipeline says the halt will cost nearly $1million a day. MAINERockport: The three-day Maine FishermenÂs Forum opens Thursday, bringing shermen, lobstermen and clammers together to discuss issues such as ÂCan Right Whales and Fishing Rope Co-Exist?ÂŽ MARYLANDBaltimore: A $37 million jury award to the family of a woman killed by a Baltimore County police ocer will likely be capped at $800,000 if the verdict survives expected appeals.MASSACHUSETTSAndover: A teacher who says she was red because of the high cost of her sonÂs cancer treatment has led a discrimination complaint. MICHIGANTraverse City: Some residents are upset that trees are being removed to accommodate an airport runway expansion, The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports. MINNESOTAOrono: A fundraising campaign has tallied more than $25,000 for the family of an autistic student whose social media posts prompted a school lockdown.MISSISSIPPIJackson: Authorities say a driver seen in a video ramming a car into barricades at a Walmart was arrested. Police say the carÂs original owner had given it to the driver and wanted it back. MISSOURIKingsville: A botanical garden has raised concern about the potential impact of a cattle feedlot expansion only three miles away that would produce about 13,000 tons of manure each year, The Kansas City Star reports. MONTANABillings: A man is charged with deliberate homicide in the fatal beating of a woman with a frying pan. Big Horn County ocials say James Isaiah BrienÂs bail was set at $1million. NEBRASKALincoln: The harsh winter has forced the city to replenish its supply of road salt, the Lincoln Star Journal reports. The city has a $250,000-a-year salt budget and typically uses about 4,800 tons but has already used about 6,000 tons. NEVADALas Vegas: A jury says the homeownersÂ association at Lamplight Village at Centennial Springs must p a y a man $20 million after a swing set collapsed on him in 2013 and left him with brain damage. NEW HAMPSHIREGroton: A couple who like to hike, hunt and crosscountry ski bought and donated a 204-acre densely forested parcel to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. NEW JERSEYMahwah: Police helped rescue an 11-year-old boy who wastrapped hip-deep in mud at a marshy area, The Record reports. Ocers wrapped a rope under the boyÂs arms to pull him out. NEW MEXICOSanta Fe: Ocials say the city received 16 complaints last year alleging an employer was violating the local minimum wage law, which rose to $11.40 last week, one of the highest in the country.NEW YORKNew York: A woman who was seriously injured by a falling elm tree while strolling in Central Park with her children has led a $200 million lawsuit. Anne Monoky says she suered spinal fractures and her 2-year-old son had a serious head injury. NORTH CAROLINACharlotte: A Mecklenburg County SheriÂs Department jail ocer is accused of making personal expenses on a travel card he obtained to attend training sessions. NORTH DAKOTABismarck: Sta members at Custer Health, the stateÂs rst syringe exchange program, say itÂs going to take time to build trust with the people they hope to serve, The Bismarck Tribune reports. Four people enrolled in the rst month. OHIOColumbus: Three of four faces will be new next Wednesday as Democrats continue a series of governorÂs primary debates, this one in Toledo. OKLAHOMAPauls Valley: The owners of a legal hemp store pleaded not guilty to accusations of growing marijuana in their home. Authorities say they recovered 65 marijuana plants, smoking devices and scales. OREGONSalem: State lawmakers have sent Gov. Kate Brown a bill to let Portland coordinate with the Department of Transportation to remove homeless camps.PENNSYLVANIACoatesville: State police say a man was arrested on animal cruelty and other charges after troopers making a trac stop spotted an injured dog, apparently from dog ghting. A search of the driverÂs home turned up six pit bulls. RHODE ISLANDProvidence: Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order Monday establishing a Âred agÂŽ policy that lets relatives or police ask judges to temporarily strip gun rights from people who show warning signs of violence. SOUTH CAROLINACharleston: Authorities say a shing crew o the South Carolina coast was issued shing citations by a Coast Guard boarding team that found illegally caught sea bass on their vessel. SOUTH DAKOTAHoward: The investigation of 44 cattle that were mysteriously poisoned by tainted water on Halloween remains open. Samples from a water tank were tested but havenÂt conrmed what chemical was used or suggested who was responsible, KELO-TV reports. TENNESSEENashville: Jack DanielÂs wants state lawmakers to ensure that distillers arenÂt subject to a state property tax on whiskey barrels. TEXASDallas: Federal investigators are looking into a suspected natural gas leak that caused an explosion at a newly renovated house, killing a 12year-old girl and injuring four family members. UTAHSalt Lake City: State lawmakers want to amend the Utah constitution to let them call themselves into a special session instead of relying on the governor. Such a change would have to be approved by state voters in November. VERMONTMontpelier: Authorities say a North Carolina man traveled to Vermont to try to steal almost 200 pounds of counterfeit Xanax pills tha t a Canadian smuggler was trying to bring to the United States on a sled. VIRGINIARichmond: State lawmakers are warming up to the idea of allowing more gambling with legislation to allow race terminals at the recently shuttered Colonial Downs. WASHINGTONSnoqualmie Pass: Authorities say two teenagers who went missing during a snowshoeing trip near Snoqualmie Pass were killed in an avalanche on Sunday. Searchers found the boys, ages 17 and 18, the next day. WEST VIRGINIACharleston: WomenÂs History Month in West Virginia begins Thursday with an event at the Capitol to commemorate it.WISCONSIN Monona: Authorities say two people arrested for trying to pass a forged check at a Walmart are likely part of a national gang that has defrauded the company out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. WYOMINGCheyenne: The Wyoming Military Department and the state Game and Fish Department are studying the elk population.A three-year study includes using GPS radio collars to monitor elk movements. Compiled from sta, wire re p orts News from across the US A ÂThe lower light gives the ice the best blue glow...ÂŽ Tori Burley,photographer

Page 6 www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 NATION/WORLD ALMANACToday is Thursday, March 1 the 60th day of 2018. There are 305 days left in the year. Today in historyOn March 1, 1790 President George Washington signed a measure authorizing the first United States Census. (Census Day was Aug. 2, 1790.) On this dateIn 1565 the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded by Portuguese knight Estacio de Sa. In 1781 the Continental Congress declared the Articles of Confederation to be in force, following ratification by Maryland. In 1893 inventor Nikola Tesla first publicly demonstrated radio during a meeting of the National Electric Light Association in St. Louis by transmitting electromagnetic energy without wires. In 1932 Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, New Jersey. (Remains identified as those of the child were found the following May.) In 1961 President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. In 1968 Johnny Cash married June Carter at the First Methodist Church in Franklin, Kentucky. TodayÂs birthdaysActor Robert Clary is 92. Singer Harry Belafonte is 91. Actor Robert Conrad is 83. Rock singer Mike DÂAbo (Manfred Mann) is 74. Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 74. Actor-director Ron Howard is 64. Actor Tim Daly is 62. Actor George Eads is 51. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 44. Pop singer Kesha (formerly Ke$ha) is 31. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 24. Bible verse ÂForever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven,ÂŽ Â„ Psalm 119:89. The Word of God has been proof-read in Heaven, and its promises ready for everyone on earth. Read and believe: He will not go back on His word. For sports on TV, please see page 2 of todayÂs Sports section WASHINGTON Â„ Harshly criticized yet again by his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday abandoned his usual stony silence and pushed back against President Donald Trump for saying SessionsÂ response to Republican complaints about the FBI was Âdisgraceful.ÂŽ Sessions gave no suggestion he would step down in light of the charge made on Twitter and insisted he would Âcontinue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor.ÂŽ TrumpÂs latest tirade stems from a comment Sessions made Tuesday, when he suggested the Justice DepartmentÂs inspector general will evaluate whether prosecutors and FBI agents wrongly obtained a warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor the communications of a onetime Trump campaign associate. Sessions had asked the watchdog ofÂ“ce to review the complaints in response to pressure from congressional Republicans, who, like Trump, have fumed about what they believe to be bias within the FBI. Trump tweeted: ÂWhy is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. IsnÂt the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!ÂŽ Sessions answered hours later, saying his department had taken the appropriate step and Âwill continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and Constitution.ÂŽ It was hardly the Â“rst time the president has aired his gripes against Session over the Russia probe. The former Alabama senator, an early supporter of TrumpÂs candidacy, has endured a yearÂs worth of TrumpÂs wrath in order to hold onto the job he had long desired. But even for Trump, who once called the attorney general Âbeleaguered,ÂŽ WednesdayÂs volley elevated the rhetoric to a new level. The exchange comes at a time of heightened tension between the Justice Department and the White House, which is mired in special counsel Robert MuellerÂs investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia and possible obstruction of justice. Trump has long viewed SessionsÂ decision to step aside from that investigation as leading to MuellerÂs appointment. Sessions has become a Trump scapegoat, allowing the president to avoid some of the political consequences of directly attacking Mueller as his probe escalates. Trump this time is angry that Sessions referred the allegations of employee misconduct to the inspector general, but thatÂs exactly what that ofÂ“ce is charged with doing. Its lawyers are part of the department and, contrary to TrumpÂs claims, can and often do refer matters for prosecution. The ofÂ“ce has been working on a separate review of the FBIÂs handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation under former Director James Comey, but that report is not late and is expected to be released around March or April.In public spat, Trump taunts Sessions, AG doesnÂt keep quietBy SADIE GURMANASSOCIATED PRESS AP PHOTOAttorney General Je Sessions delivers remarks to the National Association of Attorneys General at their Winter Meeting in Washington, on Tuesday. BERLIN Â„ A Russianbacked hacker group known for many high-level cyber attacks was able to inÂ“ltrate the German governmentÂs secure computer networks, the dpa news agency reported Wednesday. Dpa cited unidentiÂ“ed security sources saying the group APT28 hacked into GermanyÂs foreign and defense ministries and managed to steal data. The attack was noticed in December and may have lasted a year, dpa reported. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that Âwithin the federal administration the attack was isolated and brought under control.ÂŽ The ministry said it was investigating. A spokesman wouldnÂt give further details, citing the ongoing analysis and security measures being taken. ÂThis case is being worked on with the highest priority and considerable resources,ÂŽ the ministry statement said. APT28, which has been linked to Russian military intelligence, has previously been identiÂ“ed as the likely source of an attack on the German Parliament in 2015, as well as on NATO and governments in eastern Europe. Also known by other names including ÂFancy Bear,ÂŽ APT28 has also been blamed for hacks of the U.S. election campaign, anti-doping agencies and other targets.Report: Russian group hacked GermanyÂs government networkASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON Â„ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says about 11,000 people renewed protections under a program shielding young immigrants from deportation in the weeks after a judge partially reopened it. The agency released Â“gures Wednesday for the three weeks after Jan. 10, the day after U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the government to resume accepting renewals under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Another 22,000 people Â“led for DACA after their previous permits had expired or been terminated. Those requests are still pending. As of Jan. 31, 683,000 people have DACA protection. Alsup ruled Jan. 9 that the Trump administration failed to justify ending the program. Another judge issued a similar ruling in a separate case in February.11,000 people renewed DACA in weeks after judgeÂs rulingASSOCIATED PRESS

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The Sun /Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com Page 7 MARMADUKE By Brad Anderson Cryptoquip 2011 by King Features Syndicate Challenger YesterdayÂs Challenger Answers DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife of 52 years is 71 and has developed what I assume is a problem with her breathing when she sleeps. During some periods of sleep, she starts taking a rhythmic set of breaths. There usually are four deep breaths followed by four shallow breaths. Each set of the four breaths decreases in intensity, and the shallow breaths are barely recognizable. She also has developed tics in her arms and legs. Needless to say, this frightens me. She has peripheral neuropathy and takes Lyrica and two dierent doses of Cymbalta daily. Can you provide any suggestions concerning these maladies and/or recommendations for treatment? Â„ C.G. ANSWER: I congratulate you on your marriage, but also commend your attention to detail. You seem to be doing an excellent job of describing a type of breathing called Cheyne-Stokes, which can be found in many conditions, including several neurological conditions (I don't have enough information to make a diagnosis, but her neurologist probably does); heart failure; and in some normal people. However, it is most concerning as a sign of sleep apnea, often in combination with one of these conditions. If I were seeing her, I would strongly consider a sleep study. Since essentially every sleep study I have ever done is positive, I have come to the conclusion that I am not ordering enough sleep studies: I must have had patients with sleep-disordered breathing that I didn't suspect. If she does have a sleep-disordered breathing diagnosis, treatment may improve her quality of life. DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm in the process of working out a salivary stone. From what I can tell, it's in my left submandibular gland. The ENT doctor said it is making progress, so he doesn't want to remove it. He recommends that I keep myself hydrated. I'm just not totally sure where it's supposed to end up coming out of, and thus where I should be encouraging it to go. It seems to have stopped making progress. Â„ D.E. ANSWER: There are three main salivary glands: the parotid (in the cheek), the sublingual gland (under the tongue) and the submandibular glands (on either side below the tongue). Dehydration and some medicines predispose a person to developing these. A traditional treatment is the lemon cure: Sucking on a lemon is a strong stimulus for saliva, which can help propel the stone out. (It comes out through the salivary duct in the oor of the mouth, near the base of the tongue.) Unfortunately, it doesn't always work, and sometimes an ENT doctor has to either dilate the duct or grab the stone and pull it out. Stones less than 2 mm usually pass by themselves. If the stone doesn't pass, there are alternatives to surgery, such as extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, commonly used for kidney stones. This procedure uses sound waves to blast the stone into small pieces, which usually can then pass easily. Since it hasn't gotten better, I think it's probably time to go back to the ENT doctor. READERS: The booklet on thyroid gland problems explains this and other common thyroid illnesses. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Roach Book No. 401 628 Virginia Dr. Orlando, FL 32803 Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.DEAR ABBY: My husband loaned a "dear friend" some money a year ago. She has yet to pay back a penny. When I ask him about it, he gets mad and tells me it's none of my business. I have hinted to her about some large bills that we have to pay, to no avail. Other than that, my husband and I have a great marriage and love each other very much. I just don't like her taking advantage of his generosity. I know taking care of his friends gives him pleasure, but he has been burned before and I can see it happening again. I nd it hard to ignore. What do I do? Â„ Sick Of It In New Hampshire DEAR SICK OF IT: I wish you had mentioned whether you work and the money your soft-touch hubby gave his friend was partly earned by you. If that's the case, I don't blame you for being upset. While I'm not sure you can prevent your husband from doing this, I do think you are within your rights to insist that before he does it he discuss it with you. If he will do that, perhaps the two of you can nd an alternative for the person other than giving out money. DEAR ABBY: Would it be appropriate for someone to tell someone else's children to stop doing something dangerous if the parent is not around? I'm talking about kids holding scissors the wrong way or running with them, pushing others, etc. My children are in their teens now and know that such behavior is wrong. If it were the other way around, I would be grateful if someone cared enough to tell my kids that a behavior is wrong and/or dangerous. Â„ Glad In The Midwest DEAR GLAD: How else would the children know if they weren't warned? To speak up would be an act of kindness, particularly if they were doing something that could cause harm to themselves or others. Dear Readers: Welcome to March: NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH! Women from all backgrounds have made wonderful contributions to the United States in the workforce, in the military, in volunteering, in civil rights and in many other facets of life that make our country strong and proud. Take a moment to check out www.nwhp.org to learn more about National Women's History Month! Â„ Heloise Dear Heloise: Many stores have rewards programs oering free food or bonus points with a purchase. Each one of my children has an account at these stores. As a way of helping them out, each time I make a purchase at a favorite store, I give one of my children's name, and I have my purchase credited toward that account. Â„ Ann C., Westerville, OhioReader nails the description o f Cheyne-Stokes breathing Wife can't watch as 'friend' abuses spouse's generosity March's march of women!Hints from Heloise Dr. Roach Dear Abby

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Page 8 www.yoursun.com The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 ARIES (March 21-April 19). Part of the reason for your tough time back there was that your gifts were not fully appreciated in the arena in which you were trying to apply them. You will focus your natural abilities dierently and net much bigger rewards. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Today it will be futile to try to move things along at a dierent pace than is currently happening, and no one cool is doing that anyway. So just relax and let things meander as they will. You may even like where they wind up. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Much will depend on the question you ask. The right question will be like a magic button that opens up the elevator doors and allows you to step inside and go as high or as deep as you like. CANCER (June 22-July 22). As much as you might like to be fooled by that charismatic pitch person (especially if said pitch has to do with being utterly in love with you), you wisely recognize the large element of drama here for what it is. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). If you can nish it in 10 minutes, donÂt take 20. It will never be perfect, but it was probably good enough about ve paces back. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If you donÂt draw a line between what youÂre willing to do and what youÂre not, that line will emerge as if from great unseen forces Â„ like hot lava drawn up from the core of the earth, thick and red. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). YouÂve made compromises, some of them tremendous. It wasnÂt such a big deal to you because you sensed that what you were getting out of the deal would develop you in untold ways. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). YouÂll x dysfunction and address whatÂs not quite right. How? First of all, no one will even see it as ÂdysfunctionalÂŽ until you point it out. Of course, you would never point out such a thing without a solution to oer. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you say only what you mean, some wonÂt hear you, some wonÂt understand you, some will take oense. But the ones who hear, understand and accept the message will give you total trust. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It seems that the stability model doesnÂt oer all that much stability after all. ItÂs time to spend more time with the visionaries Â„ the creative people who are more excited by what could be than by what has been. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). In poems and in parties, a great entry point is when things have already happened. Actually, this is true of relationships as well. YouÂll get the sense that youÂre hopping onto a moving train. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). YouÂll present yourself through a variety of formats. Whether itÂs a meeting, an online forum, a telephone conversation or another medium, itÂs the listening you do that will make the best impression. TODAYÂS BIRTHDAY (March 1). You know more than you let on. The silent power in that will be a key to your breakthrough this month. A lucky paycheck is involved, too. Family ties bring about strange and story-worthy events. ThereÂs a contest of sorts this summer and entering will make you a winner in more ways than one. Sagittarius and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 3, 33, 38 and 14. HOROSCOPE BLONDIE By Dean Young and John Marshall BORN LOSER By Art and Chip Sansom BABY BLUES By Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott MUTTS By Patrick McDonnell DOONSBURY By Garry Trudeau

Associated PressTAMPA Â„ Jason Pominville scored on a power play at 1:26 of overtime to give the Buffalo Sabres a 2-1 victory over the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night. Pominville beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with a one-timer from the left circle to give the Sabres their second straight victory over the Lightning. Evan Rodrigues tied it for Buffalo in the third, and Chad Johnson stopped 21 shots. Thursday, March 1, 2018 SPORTS www.yoursun.com www.Facebook.com/SuncoastSports Â€ @SunCoastSportsÂWEÂRE VERY, VERY CLOSEÂGM Jason Licht says Jameis WinstonÂs shoulder injury soured Bucs season. Page 4INDEX | Lottery 2 | Golf 3 | Football 4 | Scoreboard 5 | Baseball 6 By BRYAN LEVINESports WriterPORT CHARLOTTE Â„ Predicting the Tampa Bay RaysÂ entire opening day pitching staff is no easy task. With a month remaining before games begin to count, many unknown factors cold play into the final decisions for the Rays. We can still try to guess who will break camp with the big league team. LetÂs begin with things we know for sure. The Rays are going to start the season with a 12-man pitching staff: four starters and eight relievers. We know the starting pitchers (in no exact order) will be Chris Archer, Nate Eovaldi, Blake Snell and Jake Faria. Unless an injury or a trade happens in the next month, these four will be the starting staff for roughly the first six weeks before the expand to five men for the remainder of the season. The bullpen is where things begin to get tricky. ItÂs probably safe to assume Sergio Romo, Dan Jennings and Alex Colome will make up the backend of the bullpen, which leaves five more guys to fill out the rest. Matt Andriese will serve as the long reliever. He could even make a spot start, but as for now, heÂs going to play a role similar to that of Erasmo Ramirez over the last couple of seasons. ÂI think it gives them some security knowing IÂve done it in the past and have had success doing it,ÂŽ Andries said of his move to the bullpen. ÂSeeing Erasmo the last couple of years, you know you just have to be ready everyday.ÂŽ This leaves about a dozen pitchers competing for the final four spots. Some of those possibilities could be: MLB: RaysPredicting the Opening Day pitching sta Jake Faria, shown here throwing during a workout at Charlotte Sports Park, is expected to be one of the RaysÂ four starting pitchers heading into the 2018 season.SUN PHOTO BY TOM OÂNEILL SEE RAYS, 6By RALPH D. RUSSOAssociated PressThe cracked facade of NCAA hoops appears to be crumbling and while LeBron James, John Calipari and many agree that college basketball should be overhauled, thereÂs no consensus on how to repair the system. A federal investigation has alleged hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks being funneled to influence recruits, an FBI probe that many fans believe reveals just a tiny slice of potential corruption in college sports. In September, the Justice Department arrested 10 people, including four assistant coaches from Arizona, Southern California, Auburn and Oklahoma State. Payments of up to $150,000, supplied by Adidas, were promised to at least three top high school recruits to attend two schools sponsored by the shoe company, according to federal prosecutors.COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Federal InvestigationPlenty of opinions, but few solutions to Â“ x college hoopsAP FILE PHOTONCAA President Mark Emmert answers a question at a news conference in Glendale, Ariz. By ROB HARRIS and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOVAssociated PressMOSCOW Â„ RussiaÂs ban from the Olympic movement was lifted on Wednesday despite two failed doping tests by its athletes at the Pyeongchang winter games. President Vladimir Putin hailed the move during a Kremlin award ceremony for Olympic athletes, saying Âwe must turn this page.ÂŽ ÂWe must draw relevant conclusions for ourselves, but I hope that international organizations also will eventually understand that sports must be kept away from problems unrelated to it,ÂŽ he added. The decision by the International Olympic Committee appears to be an attempt to draw a line under the state-concocted doping scandal that tarnished the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.OLYMPICS: IOCRussia reinstated into Olympic movement after doping scandalAP PHOTORussian President Vladimir Putin, and Alina Zagitova, gold medalist in the womenÂs figure skating of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games pose during an awarding ceremony, Wednesday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. SEE HOOPS, 3 SEE RUSSIA, 3 AP PHOTOMiami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase speaks during a press conference at the NFL scouting combine, Wednesday in Indianapolis. By ARNIE STAPLETONAssociated PressINDIANAPOLIS Â„ Lured out of the broadcast booth with a $100 million contract that makes him the highest-paid football coach ever, Jon Gruden sauntered up to the podium and flashed that mischievous smile. ÂIÂm very excited to be back here in Indianapolis,ÂŽ Gruden declared. ÂI sure have missed the combine.ÂŽ Gruden is navigating an offseason NFL landscape thatÂs changed drastically since he last roamed the sideline nearly a decade ago. ÂItÂs a lot different because youÂre not allowed to have any interaction with the players, and IÂve always complained about that since the new (collective bargaining agreement) came into place,ÂŽ Gruden said Wednesday. ÂA lot of players would come to see me in Tampa to get their football fix. ÂSo, youÂre not allowed to have contact with these guys. But whatÂs most discouraging to me is weÂve got to make some decisions on our roster, on salaries, on players and their futures and you canÂt even meet them,ÂŽ Gruden grumbled. ÂI donÂt know these guys. IÂve never coached them. I never met half of them. So, thatÂs been very, very difficult for me and IÂve been emotional about it at times.ÂŽNFL: CombineTeams back at the combine in search of 2018 successSEE COMBINE, 4 AP PHOTONew Tampa Bay Lightning center J.T. Miller (10) works against Buffalo Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella (6) for position in front of Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson (31) during the second period Wednesday in Tampa. Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson (9) battles with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Victor Antipin (93) for a rebound in front of Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson (31) during the second period Wednesday in Tampa. NHL: Sabres 2, Lightning 1Sabres stun LightningPominville lifts Bu alo past NHL-best BoltsSEE LIGHTNING, 2

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Kentucky at Middle Tennessee 9 p.m. BTN Â„ Big Ten Tournament, second round, Indiana vs. Minnesota-Rutgers winner, at New York ESPN Â„ Cincinnati at Tulane ESPN2 Â„ Oregon at Washington St. ESPNU Â„ California at Arizona St. ESPNEWS Â„ South Florida at Memphis 10 p.m. FS1 Â„ Stanford at Arizona 11 p.m. ESPN2 Â„ Oregon St. at Washington ESPNU Â„ Long Beach St. at UC Santa Barbara GOLF 5:30 a.m. GOLF Â„ European PGA Tour, Tshwane Open, Â“ rst round, at Waterkloof, South Africa (same-day tape) 7:30 a.m. GOLF Â„ European PGA Tour, Tshwane Open, Â“ rst round, at Waterkloof, South Africa 2 p.m. GOLF Â„ PGA Tour, WGC-Mexico Championship, Â“ rst round, at Mexico City Midnight= (Friday) GOLF Â„ LPGA Tour, HSBC WomenÂs Championship, second round, at Singapore MLB BASEBALL 1 p.m. MLB Â„ Spring training, N.Y. Yankees vs. Philadelphia, at Clearwater NBA BASKETBALL 8 p.m. TNT Â„ Philadelphia at Cleveland 10:30 p.m. TNT Â„ Minnesota at Portland NHL HOCKEY 7 p.m. NBCSN Â„ Pittsburgh at Boston 10 p.m. NBCSN Â„ Chicago at San Jose SOCCER 2:45 p.m. NBCSN Â„ Premier League, Arsenal vs. Manchester City 7 p.m. ESPN2 Â„ Women, She Believes Cup, United States vs. Germany, at Columbus, Ohio WOMENÂS COLLEGE BASKETBALL 1 p.m. SEC Â„ SEC Tournament, second round, Alabama vs. Kentucky, at Nashville, Tenn. 3 p.m. SEC Â„ SEC Tournament, second round, Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt-Arkansas winner, at Nashville, Tenn. 7 p.m. SEC Â„ SEC Tournament, second round, Tennessee vs. Auburn, at Nashville, Tenn. 9 p.m. SEC Â„ SEC Tournament, second round, Missouri vs. Florida-Mississippi winner, at Nashville, Tenn.SPORTS ON TV Cory Conacher scored for Tampa Bay, and Vasilevskiy made 32 saves. With a point in the standings for the overtime loss, the Lightning became the first team to reach 90 points this season. J.T. Miller, acquired from the New York Rangers on Monday, played 17:40 in his Lightning debut. With NHL scoring leader Nikita Kucherov out with an undisclosed upper-body injury, the Lightning struggled to g enerate offensive chances and finished with 17 shots on goal while at even strength. Tampa Bay opened the scoring with 1:57 left in the first period. The puck deflected off the stick of Conacher in front right in to Johnson, but Conacher quickly recovered the rebound and pulled the p uck back to his forehand to find the vacated side of the net Rodrigues tied it with 8:13 left in regulation. After Andrej Sustr fumbled the puck in the corner and lost it to Jason Pominville before he fed Rodrigues, who lifted the puck over Vasilevskiy. NOTES: The U.S. womenÂs Ol y m p ic champion hockey team was honored before the game. The team held residency camp in nearby Wesley Chapel. ... Buffalo RW Kyle Okposo missed the game to be with his wife while she gave birth to a daughter Tuesday. Okposo is expected to join the team in time for Frida y Âs game at Florida. ... The Sabres called up C Seth Griffin from Rochester of the American Hockey League. ... Tampa Bay recalled RW Michael Bournival from Syracuse of the AHL.UP NEXTLightning: At Dallas on Thursda y ni g htLIGHTNINGFrom Page 1 Associated PressCINCINNATI Â„ Trevon Bluiett grabbed the scissors in his right hand, climbed the stepladder and started hacking at the net, grimacing as the threads refused to cut. Finally, he had everything well in hand just as he had so many times during his four-year career and XavierÂs breakthrough season. The senior guard scored 23 points in his final game at the Cintas Center, and No. 3 Xavier never trailed while beating Providence 84-74 on Wednesday night to clinch at least a share of its first Big East championship. The Musketeers (26-4, 14-3) can win it outright by beating DePaul on Saturday and end VillanovaÂs run of four straight regular season titles. ÂIt just shows that despite maybe from game to game weÂre not at our absolute best, but we are the most consistent team,ÂŽ coach Chris Mack said. Bluiett will leave Xavier as its second alltime scorer. He made the gameÂs first basket on a driving layup, and finished off the Friars with a dunk and a pair of free throws in the final minute. ÂWe came out aggressively, especially Tre,ÂŽ senior forward Sean OÂMara said. The Musketeers sensed the enormity of the game at the outset, missing eight of their first 10 shots from beyond the arc, many of them uncontested. But they made the plays in the big moments, one of their traits as theyÂve won a lot of close games and, now, a title. ÂBeing that it was one of our goals at the beginning of the season and now actually achieving our goal, itÂs kind of unreal,ÂŽ said Quentin Goodin, who added 18 points, one shy of his career high. The league title was another major step in a record-setting season for Xavier. The Musketeers moved up to No. 3 for the first time this week. Their latest win matched the school record for victories in the regular season. And they got the best of one of only three teams to beat them this season. Providence (18-12, 9-8) won 81-77 on Jan. 6 but couldnÂt pull off the sweep after getting off to a slow start and getting into foul trouble. Top scorer Rodney Bullock fouled out with 4:42 left after managing only six points. Maliek White led with 15 points.No. 23 KENTUCKY 96, MISSISSIPPI 78: Kevin Knox had 22 points and Quade Green added 18, in cluding eight during a 15-5 second-half run that helped No. 23 Kentucky pull away from Mississippi for a 96-78 victory Wednesday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points, Wenyen Gabriel 15 and PJ Washington 10 as the Wildcats (21-9, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) won their third consecutive game and home Â“ nale, the Â“ rst without departing seniors under coach John Calipari. Terence Davis had 26 points and Breein Tyree and Bruce Stevens 13 each for the Rebels (12-18, 5-12), who lost for the ninth time in 11 games.No. 22 Belmont women open OVC with 88-64 win over Murray St.Kylee Smith and Sally McCabe had doubledoubles, Darby Maggard hit Â“ ve 3-pointers and No. 22 Belmont, the top seed, opened the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Wednesday with an 88-64 win over eighth-seeded Murray State. The Bears (29-3), who have 20 consecutive victories and 44 straight over OVC foes, play in the semiÂ“ nals on Friday against the winner of ThursdayÂs Â“ rst-round matchup between fourthseeded Jacksonville State and No. 5 Morehead State.COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP No. 3 Xavier secures share of Big East titleAssociated PressBOSTON Â„ Kyrie Irving scored 34 points in the f irst three quarters, and then sat out the fourth with the rest of BostonÂs starters as the Celtics routed the Charlotte Hornets 134-106 on Wednesday night. Aron Baynes had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 15, including nine in the third quarter as the Celtics shot 60 percent and turned the game into a blowout. Terry Rozier and Greg Monroe scored 14 points apiece for the Celtics, who won their fourth straight and ended CharlotteÂs five-game winning streak. Kemba Walker made his first eight shots and led Charlotte with 23 points. Dwight Howard had 21 points for the Hornets, who were coming off a victory over Chicago on Tuesday night and couldnÂt keep up with the Celtics after halftime. Boston led 67-59 at halftime and opened the third quarter on a 12-3 run, followed by an 8-0 spurt a few minutes later as the Hornets continued to wilt. Charlotte didnÂt have much luck, either, in the period. Irving barely beat the shot-clock buzzer with a turnaround jumper that put Boston up 86-67 with 6:29 left in the third, and bounces continued to fall for the Celtics. Brown missed an opportunity for a threepoint play with 4:45 left in the third, but got a second chance at the free throw when Charlotte was called for a lane violation. Brown hit the second attempt and BostonÂs lead was 94-67. Marcus Morris scored 15 and Marcus Smart had 10 points as seven Boston players scored in double figures.RAPTORS 117, MAGIC 104: DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and Kyle Lowry added 17 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 117-104 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. Pascal Siakam had 14 points, including 10 in the Â“ nal Â“ ve minutes as the Raptors pulled away for their 11th win in 13 games. Jakob Poeltl added 13 points and Fred Van Fleet had 12. Evan Fournier and Mario Hezonja scored 17 apiece for Orlando, which has lost seven straight games. Nikola Vucevic added 14 points and Aaron Gordon had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. PISTONS 110, BUCKS 87: Andre Drummond had 15 points and 16 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons dominated inside in a 110-87 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. The Pistons outscored Milwaukee 56-34 in the paint and had 15 offensive rebounds in the Â“ rst half alone. Blake GrifÂ“ n had eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Detroit, which won for only the second time in eight games. Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points for the Bucks, who have lost three straight. HAWKS 107, PACERS 102: Dennis Schroder scored seven of AtlantaÂs Â“ nal eight points to Â“ nish with 14, and the Hawks held off a late Indiana comeback to beat the Pacers 107-102 on Wednesday night. John Collins had 16 points for the Hawks, who led by 23 before holding on late to end their four-game losing streak. Bojan Bogdanovic led Indiana with 26 points while making four 3-pointers in the Â“ nal period.NBA ROUNDUPIrving scores 34 as Celtics top HornetsAP PHOTOXavierÂs Trevon Bluiett dunks during the second half of WednesdayÂs against Providence in Cincinnati. The No. 3 Musketeers clinched at least a share of the Big East regular-season title. AP PHOTOBoston guard Kyrie Irving, left, cuts to the basket as forward Jayson Tatum, right, sets a pick on Charlotte guard Kemba Walker during the first quarter of WednesdayÂs game in Boston. Associated PressJonathan Drouin and Nikita Scherbak scored in the second period and Montreal beat New York 3-1 to extend its points streak to five games. Paul Byron also scored and Antti Niemi made 27 saves to help the Canadiens improve to 2-0-3 in their last five. Mathew Barzal scored his 18th of the season for the Islanders. They are winless in last four games and 4-8-2 in their last 14. BLUES 2, RED WINGS 1: Carter Hutton made 35 saves, Scottie Upshall and Alex Pietrangelo scored and St. Louis beat Detroit to snap a seven-game losing streak. Hutton improved to 6-2-1 in his last nine starts and 16-7-2 overall, allowing only Andreas AthanasiouÂs goal with 1:45 left.NHL ROUNDUP Drouin leads Canadiens past Islanders

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By DOUG FERGUSONAssociated PressMEXICO CITY Â„ One of the intriguing aspects of the Mexico Championship is the thin air and the long ball. Chapultepec Golf Club is approaching 7,800 feet above sea level, making it the highest altitude most of the players in this World Golf Championships event will see all year. The Joburg Open was close to 6,000 feet above sea level. The Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nevada, is about the same. But thatÂs not what wins the tournament. Just ask the defending champion. Dustin Johnson still smiles at one of the best shots he hit all year Â„ a sand wedge. His lead was down to one shot when Tommy Fleetwood made birdie on the 18th hole, and Johnson tugged his tee shot into a wicked spot in the bunker. ÂThe ball was below my feet. It was not sitting great,ÂŽ Johnson said. ÂAnd I didnÂt really have anywhere to miss it coming out of where I was. It was either hit a good shot or I was probably going into a playoff.ÂŽ He hit one of the most underappreciated shots of the year to about 20 feet for a two-putt par and a one-shot victory. It was his fifth World Golf Championships title in his first start at No. 1 in the world, a position he has kept all year. Justin Thomas was playing in the final group and remembers it well. ÂHands down,ÂŽ he said when asked if it was one of the better shots of the tournament. Thomas revised his assessment a few minutes later, only because he thought his 6-iron for a hole-in-one on the 223yard 13th hole in the third round was pretty good. Even though a hole-inone typically is a case where the hole gets in the way? ÂThatÂs where I was aiming,ÂŽ Thomas said. Back to JohnsonÂs shot. ÂI was in the fairway and saw Tommy make birdie on 18,ÂŽ Thomas said. ÂThereÂs a tree on the left that was in his way. The ball was below his feet, and thereÂs quite a bit of sand in those bunkers. He had to catch it perfectly.ÂŽ And he did. ÂWe were walking to the green and converged about 20 yards short and I just looked at him,ÂŽ Thomas said, raising his eyebrows. ÂHe said, ÂI donÂt want that one back.ÂÂŽ One of JohnsonÂs biggest highlights this year was the drive he hit 432 yards, 6 inches on the 433-yard 12th hole at Kapalua, which he won by eight shots. In that case, the hole really was cut 6 inches from where his ball stopped rolling. It was a great shot to be anywhere on the green, and it was symbolic of JohnsonÂs power. But thereÂs more to his game. And thereÂs a lot more to playing Chapultepec. Jordan Spieth, whose 63 was the low round of the tournament last year, wasnÂt in the final group and didnÂt see the shot until it was shown on TVs around the club this week. He thought it was a reasonable example of how thin air and outrageous distances make for nice tales, but not necessarily trophies. ÂThereÂs only a couple of holes where it makes that much of a difference,ÂŽ Spieth said. ÂLength really doesnÂt matter out here. One of the par 5s, No. 6, you canÂt reach if you donÂt have length. Other than that, it really doesnÂt matter. What DJ did was control his distance and wedge play. If heÂs doing that and putting well, then heÂs really hard to beat.ÂŽ Spieth didnÂt decide until last week to enter the Mexico Championship as he tries to find the right path to the Masters. He was slowed significantly by mononucleosis in December, restricting his preparations for a new year to just four hours of practice. But he felt good enough to play, and he feels like heÂs hitting his stride. He was the star attraction over the final two holes of his nine-hole practice round, mainly because of who was in his group. It wasnÂt Rickie Fowler, or Patrick Cantlay and Jason Dufner. Lorena Ochoa, MexicoÂs biggest golfing star even in retirement, came out to join them at the end. She has a monthly golf special on the CNN outlet in Mexico and played and talked with Spieth. Children surrounding every nook between stairs and stands, behind ropes and barricades, screamed out in unison, ÂLorena!ÂŽ ÂI was super impressed how nice he was,ÂŽ she said. ÂI hit the ball OK under pressure with him, and the group and the gallery. IÂm happy I still have some golf.ÂŽ The Sun / Thursday, March 1, 2018 www.yoursun.com SP Page 3NBA: Around the LeagueBy TIM REYNOLDSAssociated PressMIAMI Â„ Joaquin Oliver was buried in a jersey bearing Dwyane WadeÂs na me. So perhaps it was fitting that WadeÂs best game this season came in sneakers with OliverÂs name scrawled on them. The Miami area is reeling right now, and will be for a while, in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. The school will reopen Wednesday, the first official day it will be in session since 17 students and teachers were killed in a ValentineÂs Day massacre that only cranked up the volume on the national debate over guns. Oliver was one of the 17 victims. His parents buried him in a Wade jersey. Wade is trying to meet the family, hoping to thank them, comfort them, listen to them, help them, hug them, and almost certainly cry with them. ÂThat they thought of me in that process, as something that he would have wanted, is mindboggling,ÂŽ the Miami Heat guard said. So is the fact that, again, Wade finds himself trying to solve a problem that apparently cannot be solved. He has been touched by countless tragedies in recent years, ranging from the Trayvon Martin shooting, to the death of his cousin in a shooting in Chicago shortly after he decided to join the Bulls in 2016, and now the senseless killings at the school about an hour north of Miami. In this social media era, athletes have strength in numbers. The voices of people like Wade, LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick and others have more power than they likely ever imagined. Wade insists he isnÂt going to be silenced about the shooting, and that his friends wonÂt either. Put another way, no, as one national television pundit recently suggested James should, he will not Âshut up and dribble.Â ÂBeing frustrated isnÂt going to help,ÂŽ Wade said. ÂYouÂve got to keep going. YouÂve got to look at the people before you and understand that nothing they did happened even close to overnight. The changes that Martin Luther King were trying to make, it took a lon g time before we could see them. Changes that an individual is trying to make, you do whatÂs in your heart. When youÂre long gone, maybe one day itÂll take hold.ÂŽ Wade scored a season-high 27 points Tuesday night, hitting a gamewinner with 5.9 seconds left to lift Miami over Philadelphia 102101. On the side of one of his sneaker heels, he scrawled OliverÂs name. ÂSome due respect to him and his family,ÂŽ Wade said .TANK WATCHThe race to be the worst gets real this week. If there is one entertaining thing about Tank Season, itÂs those nights when two teams that may not necessarily be that concerned with winning games go head-to-head Â„ and one, perhaps sadly, has to emerge from that contest with more points than the other. The next few days offer some great Â„ or terrible Â„ matchups in that regard. Wednesday, thereÂs Phoenix-Memphis. Friday brings DallasChicago. On Saturday, itÂs Memphis-Orlando. And a tanking twinbill awaits Sunday, with Phoenix-Atlanta and New York-Sacramento games on tap. ItÂs easy to see why these teams are playing for the worst possible record and therefore the best possible chance of getting the No. 1 pick in JuneÂs draft. When the new draft lottery system goes into place next year, the tanking phenomenon will hopefully lessen.THE WEEK AHEADSome of the games to watch over the coming week:Â€ Rockets at Clippers, Wednesday: The last time these teams met in Los Angeles, a chippy game was followed by postgame sparks. DonÂt expect a repeat. Â€ 76ers at Cavaliers, Thursday: Philadelphia has lost 18 straight when facing LeBron James on the road. Its last such win: 2007, led by Allen Iverson. Â€ Bucks at Pacers, Friday: ItÂs the Â“ rst of two meetings in a fourday span between these midpack East contenders, who split two contests in January. Â€ Celtics at Rockets, Saturday: Boston led the Â“ rst meeting by 3 seconds, and won Â„ rallying from 26 down. Houston will have plenty of incentive this time.Florida school tragedy leaves profound e ect on Dwyane WadeAP PHOTOMiami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) hugs his mother Jolinda Wade after the Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 102-101, Tuesday in Miami. AP PHOTODustin Johnson putts the ball during a practice round of the Mexico Championship Wednesday at the Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City. GOLF: Mexico ChampionshipShots still matter over thin air at Mexico Championship A report last week by Yahoo! Sports revealed documents showing dozens of prominent players, coaches and schools could be involved in Â„ while likely not criminal behavior Â„ breaking NCAA rules. All this looms over college basketball as March begins, the month when championship tournaments and brackets take center stage across America. The cash cow of college sports that brings in hundreds of millions of dollars to the NCAA annually. The NCAA has already announced the formation of the commission on college basketball headed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to recommend changes. ÂI donÂt know if thereÂs any fixing the NCAA. I donÂt think there is,ÂŽ said James, who never played in college, jumping from high school to the NBA at a time when that had not yet been prohibited by the league. ÂThe NCAA is corrupt Â„ we know that,ÂŽ the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar said. Fingers point in several directions about the reasons for the problems, including the NCAA itself, the age limit to enter the NBA, paying college athletes. Here is a more in depth look at some of them:THE NCAA IS THE SCHOOLSCURRENTLY: The most common misconception about college sportsÂ governing body is that it is an independent organization that governors the schools. The NCAA is a voluntary association of the schools and that membership ultimately determines the rules Â„ like what payments to an athlete or his family members are allowable. NCAA President Mark Emmert is the face and voice of the association, but Â„ unlike a commissioner of a professional league Â„ he has very limited power beyond being a potential catalyst for change. Or protector of the status quo. THE TALK: There are 351 schools that play Division I basketball from powerhouse Kentucky to tiny St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. Priorities range far and wide and what an Atlantic Coast Conference school sees as a potential Â“ x to the system, an Atlantic Sun school could see as a threat to what little competitive balance exists in D-I. The result is: Many of the potential remedies Â” oated for corruption in college sports donÂt actually involve NCAA changes.ONE-AND-DONECURRENTLY: The NBA instituted a rule 12 years ago that prohibited players from entering the draft before they were at least 19 and a year removed from high school. The NCAA has no control over this rule. The NFL rule Â„ which requires players be three years removed from high school Â„ is also problematic, but high school aged football players are not generally as close as basketball players to being pro-ready. THE TALK: There is much buzz about change. One option would be to let proready high school seniors enter the NBA draft and make players who chose to attend college stay at least two years. The rule only impacts the top players. Since 2006, 66 one-anddone players have been NBA draft lottery picks Â„ and thatÂs after a record 11 in last yearÂs draft. And while age is a hot-button issue, several players who played two or more college seasons were listed in probe documents as potentially accepting impermissible payments, according to Yahoo. When Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy slammed the NCAA recently as Âmaybe the worst organization in sports,ÂŽ he pivoted to point blame at the league where he works, even suggesting the one-and-done rule was racist in how it limits black athletes. ÂI donÂt get it. You can get out of high school, you can turn 18, letÂs say, and go to work anywhere else,ÂŽ Van Gundy said.HOOPSFrom Page 1The IOC allowed more than 160 athletes it determined were clean to compete in Sochi as ÂOlympic Athletes from RussiaÂŽ in Pyeongchang earlier this month with a prohibition on the national anthem or flag in venues. ÂYou can take away any attributes, but you canÂt take away our character, and you have proven it with your performance,ÂŽ Putin said after giving state awards to Olympic athletes in the Kremlin. ÂIt has filled us all a sense of pride.ÂŽ He referred to members of the Russian ice hockey team performing the national anthem after receiving the Olympic gold, saying he would like to thank them for their patriotism. ÂMillions of people are happy for your victories along with you!ÂŽ he said. RussiaÂs hopes of marching under its flag at SundayÂs closing ceremony in South Korea were stymied by the two positive tests for banned substances, including a curler who had to forfeit his bronze medal. But the IOC said Wednesday that all remaining test results were negative, clearing the path for RussiaÂs return to the Olympic fold. ÂTherefore, as stated in the executive board decision of 25th February, the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee is automatically lifted with immediate effect,ÂŽ the IOC said in a statement. Russian athletes won two gold medals in Pyeongchang, in figure skating and ice hockey, along with six silver medals and nine bronze. ÂWe put all our souls into that, we won those medals for our Mortheland,ÂŽ figure skater Yevgenia Medvedeva who won Olympic silver, said at the Kremlin award ceremony.RUSSIAFrom Page 1

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Page 4 SP www.yoursun.com Thursday, March 1, 2018 / The SunNFL: GrudenBy RICK STROUDTampa Bay TimesINDIANAPOLIS Quarterback Jameis Winston hurt his right throwing shoulder, and Â„ by playing with the injury Â„ he hurt his team. ThereÂs nothing the Bucs would probably do differently since Winston was cleared to play by doctors after suffering a shoulder sprain in a loss at Arizona Oct. 15. But after reviewing tape of the BucsÂ 5-11 season in 2017, both general manager Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter concluded that WinstonÂs injury was maybe the biggest factor. ÂWe feel like we are very, very close,ÂŽ Licht said at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday. ÂI know the season didnÂt show that with five wins. But we had a quarterback who was in a lot of pain on a throwing shoulder. As we sit back and look at it now, a lot of throws he couldnÂt make affected our offense. Jameis is a super competitive guy.ÂŽ After suffering the injury on a hit from Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones, Winston started the next three games at Buffalo, home vs. the Panthers and at New Orleans. He lost them all. But when Winston returned after missing three games, he was a different quarterback who threw the football with more velocity and accuracy. ÂWe didnÂt close out games well,ÂŽ Licht said. ÂAnd if I had to point to two things, one, the pain that Jameis was going through. And an inability to close out games and turnovers. Âƒ I think it affected his play.ÂÂ Winston missed three games with the injury and appeared to be a much better quarterback when he returned, despite only winning one of the BucsÂ final five games to finish 3-10 as a starter last season. ÂThe thing about that is a lot of players in the NFL are playing hurt,ÂŽ Koetter said. ÂOkay, itÂs a little bit different when itÂs your quarterback. But again, itÂs hard to sit down a starting player when he is A, cleared by the medical staff; and B, a starting player. As far as Jameis specifically, itÂs hard to say exactly, okay, on this play, this play, this play, is that a shoulder issue? Those are hard things to say. ÂAgain, thereÂs not many teams in the NFL, IÂve never seen it, that if youÂre starting quarterback is able to play, youÂre saying, ÂNah, weÂre going with this guy who really hasnÂt taken the reps anyway until your guy is totally out. Again, youÂve got to trust the information you have wit h all our players. ThereÂs no doubt injuries, the shoulder injury affected Jameis for a stretch of the season until he sat down, and I think he showed when he did come back those last few games that when heÂs healthy, heÂs really good.ÂŽNFL: BucsLicht: ÂWeÂre very, very closeÂBy RICK STROUDTampa Bay TimesIf you ever wondered when Jon Gruden took the Bucs off the list of teams he would like to coach when he returned to the sidelines after nine seasons, he cleared that up Wednesday. Speaking at the NFC scouting combine in Indianapolis as the Oakland Raiders head coach, Gruden was pretty emphatic when asked when he decided he was not going to the Bucs again. ÂWhen I was fired,ÂÂ Gruden said. In fact, the former Tampa Bay coach who won Super Bowl XXXVII said he had no discussions about returning to the Bucs. ÂNuh uh. Nope,ÂÂ Gruden said. It seems hard to believe that with the Bucs mired in what would become a 5-11 season that the Glazer family that owns the team didnÂt at least entertain a reunion with Gruden. The Bucs wound up keeping Dirk Koetter for a third season. Ultimately, maybe it was the RaidersÂ offer of a 10-year, $100-million contract that swayed them not to re-hire Gruden. Gruden said the Bucs and Glazers get credit at least for helping to finally convince him to leave ESPN and return to the NFL. Clarity arrived on Dec. 19 when he was inducted into the BucsÂ Ring of Honor at halftime of a game he called on Monday Night Football. The next week, Gruden was offered the job by Raiders owner Mark Davis. ÂThat kind of did push me over the top,ÂÂ Gruden said of the Ring of Honor ceremony. ÂIÂd spent a lot of time with players and coaches around the country, and IÂve always had the urge to come back. But being on the field that night with Brad Johnson and (Derrick) Brooks and Ronde Barber, Joe Jurevicius, it did push me over the edge, and you only live once, so here I am.ÂÂ Gruden was back in his element Wednesday at the NFL combine. His press conference was captivating and drew the largest audience, equaled only by Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who won Super Bowl LII a few weeks ago. Gruden lamented not being able to spend any time with his players because of the NFL rules that have become more restrictive since he last coached. ÂItÂs a lot different, because youÂre not allowed to have any interaction with the players,ÂÂ Gruden said. ÂIÂve always complained about that since the new CBA came in place. A lot of players would come to see me in Tampa to get their football fix. So youÂre not allowed to have contact with these guys. But whatÂs the most discouraging thing to me is, weÂve got to make decisions on our rosters on salaries, on players and their futures and you canÂt even meet them. I donÂt know these guys. IÂve never coached them. Never met half of them. So thatÂs been very, very difficult for me, and IÂve been emotional about it at times.ÂÂ Gruden also isnÂt a big fan of all the analytic data involved in the NFL these days. ÂAre you talking about the analytics, the GPS the modern technology??ÂŽ Gruden said. ÂMan, IÂm trying to throw the game back to 1998. You know, really, as a broadcaster, I went around and observed every team. I asked a lot of questions. I had a chance to take a look at the facilities, how they were doing business. ThereÂs a stack of analytical day-ta, or data, however you want to say that word, that people donÂt even know how to read it. ItÂs one thing to have the data, or day-ta, itÂs another thing to know how to read the damn thing. So IÂm not going to rely on GPSÂs and all the modern technology. I will certainly have some people that are professional that can help me from that regard, but I still think doing things the old-fashion way is a good way, and weÂre doing to try to lean the needle that way a little bit.ÂŽ But make no mistake: Gruden is happy to be back coaching in the NFL and back with the Raiders. ÂIÂm just thrilled to be back in the AFC West, certainly, but with the Raiders,ÂÂ Gruden said. ÂItÂs been really cool. Not many people get a chance to go back and do it a second time. ItÂs a neat story for me, but I want to take advantage of the opportunity and I know I have a lot to prove.ÂÂ W hen did Gruden decide he would not coach Bucs again? ÂWhen I was Â“ redÂAP FILE PHOTOTampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter and general manager Jason Licht said that quarterback Jameis WinstonÂs shoulder injury was possibly the biggest factor in the BucsÂ 5-11 season. AP PHOTOOakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden speaks during a press conference at the NFL Combine, Wednesday in Indianapolis. On the next podium was Matt Patricia, who, unlike his former colleague Josh McDaniels, didnÂt balk at leaving Bill BelichickÂs brigade. Then there was Andy Reid, in the midst of another major roster shakeup, and his protege, Doug Pederson, still basking in PhiladelphiaÂs first Super Bowl triumph in just his second season as coach of the Eagles. All are gathering this week in Indianapolis hoping to better their chances of winning in 2018. Top college prospects, including a group of quarterbacks that could produce five first-round draft picks, will spend four days getting poked and prodded, tested and timed. GMs and coaches will pepper them with questions either in formal 15-minute interviews or during a mixed zone after their physical assessments. ÂItÂs a chance to get to know these guys, to know exactly what youÂre getting when they come into the building,ÂŽ said new Texans general manager Brian Gaine. He said their athleticism and acumen are already well-known, and theyÂll flash their strength, speed and swiftness this week at Lucas Oil Stadium. What the GMs and coaches want to do is get a look under the hood. ÂWeÂd like to talk about football as much as we can, but we need to know everything we can to find out about these players,ÂŽ Gaine said. ÂSo when they come into our building (we know) that theyÂre a good fit for us in the locker room, in the weight room, in the training room, in the meeting rooms, out on the practice field.ÂŽ After this week, teams will retreat to their headquarters and begin preparing for the annual flood of free agents that will hit the market in mid-March. NFL.com reported this week that teams will soon receive in-game player-tracking data on every NFL player in the league, something that could change the way they scout opponents and evaluate free agents. The league has gathered the data since 2014 through sensors in playersÂ shoulder pads. Until now, teams only had data on their own players. Some teams have embraced the new tools more than others. ÂAre you talking about the analytics, the GPS, all the modern technology?ÂŽ Gruden said. ÂMan, IÂm trying to throw the game back to 1998. ÂYou know, really as a broadcaster, I went around and observed every team, asked a lot of questions, took a look at the facilities, how theyÂre doing business, thereÂs a stack of analytic data or ÂDAY-tuh,Â however you want to say that word, people donÂt even know how to read it. ItÂs one thing to have the data Â„ or DAY-tuh Â„ itÂs another thing to know how to read the damn thing. ÂSo, IÂm not going to rely on GPSs and all the modern technology. I will certainly have some people that are professional that can help me from that regard. But I still think doing things the old-fashioned way is a good way, and weÂre going to try to lean the needle that way a little bit.ÂŽ Also meeting in Indianapolis this week is the leagueÂs competition committee, which is looking into fixing the catch rule, something commissioner Roger Goodell said was his top offseason priority.COMBINEFrom Page 1 Associated PressCHARLOTTE, N.C. Â„ The Carolina Panthers have released running back J onathan Stewart. Stewart became the franchiseÂs career rushing leader in 2017, finishing with 7,318 rushing yards. StewartÂs 1,6 99 rushin g attem p ts are also the most in franchise history, while his 58 touchdowns (51 rushing, seven receiving) are second in franchise histor y ÂJonathan played the game the way you want. He brought an element of toughness as a runner that set the tempo for our team,ÂŽ coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. ÂHe is a great pro, and I appreciate who he is as a young man and thank him for the contribution he made.ÂŽ Stewart played all 10 seasons with the Panthers after being drafted by Carolina in the first round in 2008 out of Ore g on. NFL: PanthersPanthers release the franchiseÂs career rushing leader Jonathan Stewart By DAVE CAMPBELLAssociated PressThe time for the Minnesota Vikings to commit anew to a starting quarterback has almost arrived. TheyÂre still in evaluation mode, according to general manager Rick Spielman. With Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford each on track to become an unrestricted free agent in two weeks, the Vikings have yet to make any final decisions about any of them. ThatÂs what Spielman said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday. ÂThere have been no decisions made, and I know there have been a thousand reports out there,ÂŽ Spielman said. ÂWeÂre going to move forward and continue to evolve this process through the meetings this week with the agents.ÂŽ The most notable report, by the NFL Network this week citing unidentified sources, was that the Vikings donÂt plan to use the franchise tag on Keenum. ThatÂs a way they could essentially kick the quarterbackdecision can down the road by keeping him for 2018 at a rate in the top tier of current league-wide salaries at the position, which would be well more than $20 million this year. ThatÂs also a lot of money for a player who was a career backup until BradfordÂs knee injury after the season opener paved the way for his breakout performance. Spielman dismissed that report, praising Keenum in general terms after the run to the NFC championship game at eventual champion Philadelphia. He said the Vikings have discussed how Keenum could fit in new offensive coordinator John DeFilippoÂs preferred scheme but otherwise declined to divulge any specific assessment.NFL: VikingsVikings still evaluating QB situationGM says WinstonÂs shoulder injury soured Bucs season

By BRYAN LEVINESports Writer FORT MYERS Â„ Carlos Gomez is finally expected to join the Rays this weekend after being held up by Visa issues for the last week. ÂWeÂre excited to see him,ÂŽ manager Kevin Cash said. ÂI know heÂs been working out and doing live BPÂs at home facing some (pitchers).ÂŽ The Dominican Republic native signed with the Rays last week in whatÂs believed to be a one-year, $4 million contract. Last year in 105 games with the Rangers, Gomez hit .255 with an .802 OPS, 17 home runs, 51 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He will likely occupy right field every day for the Rays. Cash says he expects Gomez to begin playing in games in the middle of next week once the 32-year-old is able to get settled, take a physical and get into the flow of things.INFIELD INJURIESThree of the four infielders expected to start for the Rays on opening day are taking a break over the next few days to get healthy. Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (hamstring), third baseman Matt Duffy (back) and second baseman / first baseman Brad Miller (toe) are all considered day-to-day with injuries that arenÂt too serious. ÂIt gives us an opportunity to see some of these (young) guys weÂre excited to see,ÂŽ Cash said. Hechavarria tweaked his hamstring while fielding some ground balls during batting practice. Duffy was scratched late before TuesdayÂs game after he felt a spasm in his back during batting practice. Miller broke his toe after he stubbed his foot. Cash says all three injuries likely wouldnÂt have prevented them from playing if this were the regular season, but theyÂre taking precaution in the spring.LOMO SIGNS WITH TWINS Former Rays first baseman officially signed with the Minnesota Twins Wednesday morning prior to the game between his new and old teams. ÂI think the Twins are going to be really good this year. Especially with me in the lineup,ÂŽ Morrison said in a press conference Wednesday. ÂIf this is going to be my last year playing baseball, I just want a chance (to win). I think most player just want a chance.ÂŽ Morrison signed a one-year deal with a club option for 2019. According to Morrison, he declined offers from other teams. The Rays were not one of the teams to reach out, says Morrison. ÂThey were open and honest with me,ÂŽ Morrison said. ÂBeing able to establish a relationship with them, and making me feel wanted. A lot of times, itÂs not whatÂs offered, itÂs how itÂs offered and they did a good job in doing that.ÂŽ The 30-year-old was one of the top players on the Rays in 2017 when he played in 149 games while hitting 38 home runs with a .246 average, .868 OPS, 85 RBI and 81 walks.CORE OF THE PENAlex Colome, Sergio Romo and Daniel Hudson are all expected to make their first appearances within the next couple of days. Cash says he believes all three will throw on the same day, either Friday or Saturday. Whichever day it is, newly-acquired Anthony Banda will likely pitch on the other day. RAYS 3, TWINS 1HITTER OF THE GAME C.J. Cron, Rays: The new RaysÂ slugger was inches away from two home runs on Wednesday, getting robbed once by left Â“ elder Eddie Rosario and against by center Â“ elder Byron Buxton. PITCHER OF THE GAME Ryan Yarbrough, Rays: Yarbrough looked more consistent in his second outing of the spring. He tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and had one strike out. KEY INNING Top Â“ rst: The Rays wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Wednesday. Micah Johnson hit a leadoff single. He eventually came around to score on a groundout by Willy Adames. Tampa Bay never gave up the lead after that. PROSPECT WATCH Christian Arroyo, Rays: It was a three-hit day for Arroyo in just his third appearance of the spring. Arroyo had three hits in all three at-bats. THEY SAID IT ÂThatÂs my guy. ThatÂs the ÂAWRÂ average white righty. Âƒ He has a great dad bod.ÂŽ Â„Logan Morrison joking about his new Twins teammate and former Rays teammate Jake Odorizzi.Jose Alvarado, Diego Castillo, Daniel Hudson, Andrew Kittredge, Austin Pruitt, Chaz Roe and Ryne Stanek. Then there are also the nonroster invitees with an outside shot like Dustin McGowan, Vidal Nuno, Dan Runzler, Evan Scribner and Jonny Venters. The hard-throwing Alvarado appears a little more refined this year after a rookie season where he made 35 appearances. ÂAlvarado continues to find the zone,ÂŽ manager Kevin Cash said after TuesdayÂs game. ÂHeÂs like a different pitcher form this time last year. We saw it at the end of the year when he came back up how special he can be when he harnesses everything.ÂŽ Stanek, another hardthrower, could also have an inside track to make the opening day bullpen. The 25-year-old made 21 appearances last year with a 5.85 ERA. It also helps heÂs already on the 40-man roster. The final two spots are the hardest to fill. Do they go with someone like Pruitt, who can give the Rays length out of the bullpen on a day where one of the four starters has an off day and perhaps Andries is unavailable? Do they go with someone like Roe, who had a 1.04 ERA in nine appearances with Tampa Bay last season? Kittredge and Hudson also stand a chance if they perform well enough. Then thereÂs also Jonny Venters, who hasnÂt pitched in the majors since 2012, but is finally fully healthy and competing hard for a spot. ItÂs still too early to tell definitively, but at least weÂve been able to narrow down to a handful of names to look for over the next few weeks. Page 6 SP www.yoursun.com Thursday, March 1, 2018 / The SunMLB: MarlinsRAYSFrom Page 1RAYS NOTEBOOKGomez expected soon, inÂ“ eld injuries TAMPA BAY (4-3) vs. BALTIMORE (2-4-1)WHEN: Today, 1:05 p.m. WHERE: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte SCHEDULED STARTERS: RH Jake Faria vs. LH Nestor Cortes Jr. PITCHING PROBABLES RAYS: RH Jake Faria (start), relievers TBA TWINS: Nestor Cortes Jr. (start), RH Perci Garner, RH Jeff Ferrell, RH Jesus Liranzo, RH Tim Melville, LH Joely Rodriguez, RH Jose Mesa Jr. FRIDAY: vs. Philadelphia, 1:05 p.m. SATURDAY: at Detroit, 1:05 p.m SUNDAY: at New York (AL), 1:05 p.m. MONDAY: off day. TUESDAY: vs. Boston, 1:05 p.m. SUN PHOTO BY TOM OÂNEILLIt was a three-hit day for Christian Ar royo in just his third appearance of the spring Wednesday. Ar royo had three hits in all three at-bats against the Twins. By DAVE CAMPBELLAssociated PressThe Minnesota Twins were all about upgrading their pitching this winter, giving both their bullpen and their rotation with a series of acquisitions. With the market moving slowly, though, there were position players still available for sensible investments. That included Logan Morrison and his 38 home runs. Morrison and the Twins finalized a $6.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday, a deal that includes a $5.5 million salary this year and an $8 million club option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout. The option would become guaranteed if he reaches 600 plate appearances this season. ÂIn the free agent market, you are trying to buy wins. You are trying to buy production,ÂŽ Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. ÂUltimately we felt we could buy it at a reasonable cost on the bat side.ÂŽ Morrison agreed to terms last weekend subject to a successful physical and was introduced during a news conference at Twins spring training headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida. The 30-year-old drove in 85 runs for the Tampa Rays last season to go with his careerbest 38 homers. His .868 OPS was higher than that of any Twins player last year. ÂWeÂre hopeful thatÂs the player weÂre getting moving forward,ÂŽ Falvey said. His patience tested by the lack of action in free agency, Morrison, said he turned down offers from a couple of other teams before he found a fit with the Twins. The potential for postseason success on a team that reached the AL wild card game last year was one selling point. The way Falvey and the rest of the organization made him feel wanted was another one.MLB: TwinsTwins Â“ nalize $6.5M deal with MorrisonAP FILE PHOTOTampa Bay RaysÂ Logan Morrison watches his home run off Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Chris Tillman during a 2017 game in St. Petersburg. By STEVEN WINEAssociated PressMIAMI Â„ Season previews suggesting the Miami Marlins have an entirely new look in the outfield arenÂt quite accurate. Yes, major league home run king Giancarlo Stanton is gone. So are Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and even fourth outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. But the Red Grooms home run sculpture remains. While the Marlins have undergone a radical makeover under CEO Derek Jeter, he has yet to find a new home for the kitschy, colorful, carnivalesque sculpture nicknamed Homer. It stands beyond the center field wall at Marlins Park, the towering legacy of former owner Jeffrey Loria, and nearly as unpopular. WhatÂs JeterÂs opinion of the 73-foot-tall artwork? ÂItÂs big,ÂŽ he said. ÂItÂs big. ItÂs big.ÂŽ Does he like it? ÂItÂs unique,ÂŽ he said. Translation: He hates it. Ex-Yankees shortstops and other traditionalists tend to give the sculpture a thumbs-down. Like the Marlins, however, Homer does have a few fans. They consider the pop art very Miami, and right at home in a ballpark with garish green walls, a nightclub in left field and fish tanks behind home plate. ÂA lot of people hate it, but I donÂt know why,ÂŽ New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler said. ÂItÂs a wild stadium, and that thing is pretty wild, so why not?ÂŽ Marlins reliever Brad Ziegler said his kids enjoy the sculpture, which springs into motion whenever the home team homers. ÂTheyÂre 2 and 3,ÂŽ Ziegler said. ÂThey always liked seeing the Marlin go flying when Mr. Giancarlo and Mr. Christian and Mr. Marcell would hit home runs.ÂŽDerek Jeter may be stuck with MarlinsÂ home run sculptureAP FILE PHOTOThe Miami MarlinsÂ home run sculpture is shown during a game between the Marlins and the Colorado Rockies in Miami. SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP Associated PressAROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUESTWINS (SS) 4, ASTROS 2: Jose Altuve went 3 for 3, George S pringer had two hits and scored a run and Alex Bregman homered for Houston. Lance McCullers Jr. started for the Astros and allowed two hits with three strikeouts in two innings. Erick Aybar had two hits and scored a run for a Minnesota split squad. TIGERS 9, YANKEES 6: Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge played together for the Â“ rst time with the Yankees. Stanton doubled, singled and scored on a home run by Gary Sanchez. Judge went 0 for 2 as the DH in his Â“ rst game since shoulder surgery last November. Daniel Norris started for Detroit and retired the last four batters he faced after SanchezÂs Â“ rst-inning homer. RED SOX 4, PIRATES 3: Xander Bogaerts hit an RBI double for Boston. The Red Sox bullpen threw 6 2/3 shutout innings. Pittsburgh starter Chad Kuhl pitched two perfect innings. Starling Marte drove in a run and scored. MARLINS 3, NATIONALS 1: Nationals star outÂ“ elder Bryce Harper was scratched due to an ingrown toenail and likely wonÂt play again until this weekend. Miami starter Odrisamer Despaigne threw three perfect innings and struck out four. Washington starter Tanner Roark allowed two unearned runs in two innings. CARDINALS 10, ORIOLES 9: Manny Machado hit a grand slam and singled for Baltimore. Chris Davis added a three-run shot. Yairo Munoz homered twice in the seventh inning and drove in four runs for St. Louis. The Cardinals got the 23-year-old shortstop/outÂ“ elder in the winter trade for Stephen Piscotty. Munoz got three hits for the second straight day. METS 6, BRAVES 4: Matt Harvey allowed a run on two hits in two innings in his Â“ rst spring start for New York. He fanned two and walked one. Zack Wheeler, who hopes to be part of the MetsÂ rotation, pitched the fourth and allowed a run on three hits. Atlanta starter Brandon McCarthy threw three scoreless innings. BLUE JAYS 7, PHILLIES 1: Curtis Granderson hit a three-run homer off Philadelphia starter Vince Velasquez. Aaron Altherr had a pair of singles for the Phillies. Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna pitched a shutout fourth inning. INDIANS (SS) 15, ANGELS 3: Angels star Mike Trout went 0 for 2 in his Â“ rst appearance this spring. Jason Kipnis and top prospect Bobby Bradley each had two of the 23 hits by a Cleveland split squad. Angels closer Blake Parker pitched the fourth inning and surrendered three runs on four hits.